


Anna And Seth

by angel1876



Category: Original Work
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Drama, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jekyll and Hyde, Murder, Rape does not happen but is an implied threat in one chapter, Romance, Science Fiction, Survival, Thriller, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:16:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4614363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel1876/pseuds/angel1876
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You need to breathe." The words were silent, whispered not aloud but within her head. The girl didn't respond, her chest still as her empty lungs started to burn. "Love, listen to me. I know it's hard, but you need to breathe. Please breathe."</p><p>A small twitch, a barely felt spasm in her fingers. She was there, if not alert. He prodded at her again, his own self pressed against hers, a shift within her skull, "Come on, you can do it. Don't give up. Fight for me. Sweetheart, fight for me."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She lay limp in the chair, and though her eyes were open, he knew she wasn't really seeing anything. He knew, because he couldn't see anything, either. It was a common enough side effect, temporary blindness, though still terrifying when it happened. He prodded her, trying to keep himself calm through the hard, erratic pounding of her heart. She was already afraid, adding his own fear to that would only further harm the shell they both shared.

 _You need to breathe._  The words were silent, whispered not aloud but within her head. The girl didn't respond, her chest still as her empty lungs started to burn. _Love, listen to me. I know it's hard, but you need to breathe. Please breathe._

A small twitch, a barely felt spasm in her fingers. She was there, if not alert. He prodded at her again, his own self pressed against hers, a shift within her skull,  _Come on, you can do it. Don't give up. Fight for me. Sweetheart, fight for me._

The shudder ran deep, through her spine and up her limbs, the chest heaving with a burst of air. He felt her eyes close, felt her hands pull back, though the restraints held them firm. A moment later and she gave up, once more sitting still. Relief flooded him with each breath she fought to take in, despite the way her own flesh felt like a vice around her rib-cage.

"There we go." These words were spoken aloud, accompanied by the approach of footsteps. Dr. Asher kept a casual tone, as if he hadn't just sent a blaze of fire through her insides, "How is it now? Subject B, can you move?"

He couldn't. If he could, he would have screamed at him, thrashed in the chair until the bonds holding them snapped. He would have ripped his throat out and left him to die on the floor like the parasite he was. As it was, he could only snarl within her, pulling at invisible chains as if he were a trapped animal.

The man touched her, just below the jaw on one side, to lift her head up. Her lip twitched, a slight tug in the corner that showed the scientist teeth for less than a second. The action was not in anger, but rather in pain. Everything hurt, every nerve frayed, every muscle strained to the breaking point. He hummed to himself, a tuneless melody. She barely registered the contact, but he was disgusted by close he was.

"Subject B? Subject B. Time to wake up, Subject B."

 _I am awake you asshole._  He hissed, immediately regretting it when she physically cringed from the internal flare of hostility.

"Hmm. I suppose not." the hand pulled back, leaving her head to fall to the side, the sudden movement dragging a sharp, hoarse whimper from her throat.

_It hurts!_

_Just hold out a little more. It can't be much longer now, be strong. We can do this. You can do this._

The bright, nearly blinding blur that made her eyes burn told him she'd opened them. They could both pick him out among the endless white from the flare of red that was his hair, and judging by the scratch of pen on paper, he was taking notes.

_I wanna go home..._

_Oh, darling, I know. I know. Shh. It'll be okay._

Her breath caught in her throat, and though she shivered, though her own whine stabbed at her ears, she couldn't cry. Not a good sign, she was dehydrated again. As much as he wanted her to believe his words, there was always the chance Asher might not stop this time, at least not before her heart did. He was getting impatient, each fresh round of electroshock lasted longer than the one before. It wasn't like he couldn't replicate the experiment. Even if they were his first successful project, that didn't mean they would be his last. They were expendable.

_Tell me...tell me what it was like, again. Outside? Yeah, what's outside?_

_People. There are people. And cars. And the sky..._

_The sky. Tell me about the sky, love. I always like when you talk about the sky._

_ It's blue. And sometimes there's clouds. They're fluffy, and white, but not like the walls. There's light, light everywhere, and the light makes flowers grow. _

_And at night?_

_ It's dark...but there's...the moon...and stars. _

_The stars are nice, aren't they?_

_ They're beautiful. _

_You're going to show me, right? We're gonna get out, and you're gonna show me the moon and the stars, and the sun as it rises. Remember, you promised me._

She nodded, and through the agony of movement he felt the soft brush of the wires against her face.

Asher turned back to face them, and though it wasn't exactly a blessing, she could see enough that they knew he was smiling. "Okay, friends, once more. I think I've got the right frequency now."

_No. No..no no no..._

_Listen to me. One day, this is all going to feel like a bad dream. We'll get out and we'll never come back._

The machine beeped as Asher pushed a series of buttons. The familiar electrical whine filled the air as he put his hand on the lever. She recoiled, fingers digging into the arm rests, not that it would do any good. They'd gone through this enough times to know there was no bracing against it. There was only enduring the pain and hoping it would soon pass.

Asher pushed the handle down, and the screaming started again. She spasmed, jerking hard enough against the leather straps that the wood of the chair creaked. Something in her arm snapped, a pop as one of her muscles strained past it's breaking point. Her eyes rolled, her head thrown back as their world went dark. 

He didn't know when it stopped. It had to have stopped at some point, but for the life of him he couldn't remember when.

All was silent. Nothing seemed to be moving. Where'd the scientist go?

_Are you there? I can't see... I need you to open your eyes._

This time he didn't get a reply at all. She was there, he could feel her, but she wasn't conscious. He pushed against her, the motion weak. He felt heavy, far too heavy, like a weight was dragging him down. He wanted to join her, wanted to sleep, but he didn't know if Asher was still there.

_Wake up...I need you to...need you...to..wake up.._

Her throat was so dry. They needed to drink something, and soon. Neither of them were hungry anymore, just thirsty, to the point even a single drop would feel fantastic on her swollen tongue. The thought made her chest burn, even if he was the one imagining it. Someone started tugging apart her bindings, and he realized that they weren't alone, her hearing had gone. The hard, rough surface of the chair fell away, she was being carried back to her cell.

For a moment, he thought, it felt like floating. They were flying away from there, not just away from the chair but away from Asher himself. 

He only wished that were true.


	2. Chapter 2

What fleeting peace he'd found shattered with a start as the pool came up to cover his mouth and nose. He tried to pull away, but it wasn't weight or vice that held him under. It was his own body, pinning him down more than any physical barrier. Worse still, he could feel air all around him, every inch of skin dry except for the one place he needed it most. All he had to do was move a few inches, enough to get his face above the surface, but he might as well have been pushing against a solid steel wall. Even with his heart racing, he could only kneel there, helpless to stop the flood rushing past his throat. In the next instant, he was pulled free, not of his will but of hers.

_ We're okay! We're okay, I was just getting a drink. Look. _

She nudged him where he cowered in the confines of her head, her eyes opened so he could see the bowl in front of them, half full with cloudy water that still rippled from her touch. After he'd had a moment to take it in, she shifted her gaze to the walls that surrounded them on all sides. They were in their cell, not safe, but not in immediate danger either. She curled herself around him in the closest thing she could get to giving a hug. To remind him he wasn't drowning, more importantly, he wasn't alone.

_ Are you alright? _

_Yeah just...just give me a minute._

Still holding him, she got off her knees and sat with her legs folded under her, though she threw the bowl a longing glance before turning away. It was just as well, despite the bone deep thirst that demanded she keep drinking, her stomach started to turn. She'd taken in far too much, too fast. He couldn't blame her for diving headfirst into the water, considering how unbearable her thirst had been, but all the liquid in the world wouldn't help them if she couldn't keep any of it down.

She picked up a small package and brought it to eye level with an unseen smile, doing her best to present it enthusiastically.

_Hey, he brought crackers, too. The kind you like. They'll be a nice change after all the pretzels, won't they? I'll eat some now if you want. Maybe it won't hurt if it's only one or two?_

_Don't. No more, not now. I don't need you getting sick on me, love._

Instead of setting it aside, she raised the package to brush over her cheeks and nose, using the soft crinkle of plastic to break the silence. The corners of the wrapper were avoided, knowing how uncomfortable the sharper points felt against her skin. Back and fourth, she traced an invisible line, occasionally pausing to tap her fingertips against the bright orange logo. All the while she took deep, even breaths, loud enough that he could clearly hear the air flow in and out of her lungs. Little by little, the pounding in her chest eased to a calmer rhythm, and the tremble that rolled through her subsided. It was then he noticed she was only using one hand, and that she kept her right arm tucked in close, careful not to move it.

_Is it bad?_

_ Not really. I think we just pulled a muscle. _

_Are you sure? How far can you move it? Show me._

_ Maybe we should wait until you're feeling better. _

_I'm fine, I promise. Show me, please._

There was no further argument, though she gave a small whine as she set the crackers down. She eased the limb away from her, eyes focusing on it so he could see it clearly. It wasn't too swollen, but she could only extend it half way before her arm protested with a sharp stab of pain between the wrist and elbow, enough to double her over. Resisting the urge to recoil, he pressed into her, offering what comfort he could.

_You're right, we strained it too far. It'll be hell, but we'll heal._

Delicately, trying not to further agitate anything sore, she lay down, curled on one side with her good arm under her head. The floor was the same unforgiving cold as ever, and the florescent light stared at them from above with a heartless glare. There was a vent up by the ceiling, too high and too small to be of any use. Not that she hadn't put the effort in, several scratch marks still littered the wall, along with little flecks of dried blood from where the splinters caught on her nails. No one bothered to paint over it, as if to mock her failure. The world went dark, vanishing as she let her eyes close.

"I'm sorry." Her speaking voice was hoarse, but soft, barely above a whisper. "I'm..so sorry..."

_Don't be, it's not your fault you're hurt._

_No, I mean.. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. That you're stuck here._

_Darling, no. That's on Asher. You've done nothing wrong, you didn't ask for this. Besides, where would I be if I wasn't with you? We're in this together, no matter what. Try...try not to think of it as I'm being forced to stay. Believe me. I wouldn't leave if it meant going without you, even if I could._

She didn't respond. Teeth nipped restlessly at her lower lip, picking at one of the scabs.

_Why don't we get our minds off all this and talk about something else? What about the park? What's it like?_

_ There's lots of trees. Sometimes people bring their dogs there. I had one..mom didn't like it but dad got her for me anyway. Or...maybe dad was the one who didn't like it? _

_I believe you said it was your dad. But after she gave her to you, he stopped complaining. You were happy, so he was happy, right?_

_ I don't know..I just remember them fighting. _

Another memory lost. She used to be able to talk about her parents for hours on end, now she was having a problem recalling the things that once meant the most to her. It was to the point where she probably wouldn't have recognized the two if she saw them. He didn't like it. It didn't matter when parts of his memory were taken, this damn lab was all he knew. But for her, it was another image of the outside world lost. How long until the treatments made her forget everything?

_What was she like?_

_ The dog? She was loud. Very loud. I don't think she ever stopped barking unless she was asleep. _

_How about her name?_

_ It was...something short? She already had it when we got her. _

_It was Anna._

_ Yes, that's the one. Anna. _

_Was she a good dog? Did you like her?_

_ I loved her. _

The scab she'd been tugging at gave way, air stinging the wound as it was reopened. Warm, wet copper seeped into the cracks in her lips, making them stick to each other as she chewed the strip of skin. Once she swallowed it, she licked the blood off her mouth and started pulling at another one. He bristled, but knew that drawing attention to it would only stress her out more.

_Maybe I'll get to meet her someday. And your parents, too._

_ Yeah, if we can find them. They'd like you. _

_I hope so. Assuming they even believe I'm-_

Footsteps tapped by right outside their cell, shutting them both up instantly. They watched the door, her breath held until the sound faded away. It was probably just a guard. Why bother dropping them off if he was going to come back in ten minutes? Asher was cruel, but not without purpose.

_We still have some time, right? At least a few hours?_

_Right. Try to relax, get as much rest as you can. Don't worry about him until you need to._

_ Okay... _

_Go on and have a cracker if you want. I think your stomach's settled enough for it._

He didn't need to make the offer twice. As soon as the words were said, she was sitting up, pulling the wrapper apart with her teeth. The smell was strong, almost overpowering, but it was nothing compared to the taste. It was crunchy, perhaps a bit stale, and covered with enough cheese flavoring that her fingers were coated despite the fact she only ate one. If he ignored the burn of salt in an open wound, it was perfect.

Licking at her teeth to get the crumbs out of all the little groves they'd gotten stuck to, she lay back down, curled against the wall.

_ I'm tired...could you help me sleep? _

_Of course. I'll wake you up when you're ready to eat again. Sweet dreams, love._

With that, he draped himself over her, his mind covering hers like a blanket, and pressed down gently. He felt her go limp, the rise and fall of her chest slowed to a sluggish pace, her thoughts smothered by his own. She was almost never calm enough to drift away without assistance, even if her body was exhausted beyond all reason. The only drawback to this was it left him with no one to talk to, but he didn't mind. She needed the rest, and so long as he could listen to her heartbeat and feel her presence beside him, he was happy.


	3. Chapter 3

He nudged her as soon as he heard the door open, pulling her free from sleep before they had a chance to drag her out themselves. Her thoughts swam, eyes opening before she was truly alert. The moment her gaze fell upon Asher, she scrambled away, recoiling into the far corner where one wall met another. He stood with his arms folded over his chest, the dark circles under his eyes making his pale complexion seem almost ghostly. Was he even bothering to take care of himself anymore? It didn't look like he'd so much as sat down since dropping them off.

The guard started forward, and she rushed to stand before he could force the matter. While none of them were allowed to harm any of the subjects enough that they required medical attention, they also knew full well Asher didn't care if they caused a bruise or two if it got the point across. Head down, eyes on the floor, she slipped past him and toward the scientist. Without a word, Asher turned and led the way down the hall, him in front of her, and the guard following behind.

All was silent, save for the rhythm of footsteps as they moved down the hall. Though not a sound came from any of the doors they passed, he knew at least some of them held fellow subjects on the other side, either too scared or too weak to cause a fuss.

_We're going to be fine._ he murmured. _Don't worry. Just keep breathing._ _That's all you need to focus on, love. Don't give up._

_Okay..._

Ignoring the destination, the worst part of this walk was the set of stairs that lay between their cell and Ashers' work area. He bristled when they approached, knowing full well that she'd need help getting to the bottom. The scientist stopped and put an arm around her, holding her against him so she wouldn't fall. Her skin crawled where he touched, chilling her despite the faint traces of warmth that seeped through their clothes.

It was a slow decent, interrupted with frequent pauses when she tilted too much in one direction or another. If not for the man keeping her steady, she would have lost her balance and tripped. Even with his assistance, she twisted her ankle the wrong way near the bottom. She gasped, head ducked low, Asher's eyes burning into the top of her head.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're doing this on purpose," he spoke, voice as light as it always was, though there was a dull edge underneath. "But of course you're not. It's hard, isn't it? I can understand that. Tell you what, if you don't think you can manage anymore, I'll just have to get someone to carry you."

She shook her head, a small noise bubbling up that would have been the word 'no' if she'd been able to get it out.

"Then I'd appreciate it if you got your act together. I don't have all day to stand here and wait for you."

Tension flooded through fingers he ached to clench, strain in the jaw he couldn't bite down with. The monster, he was nothing more than filth left to decay under that coat of his. How dare he look down on her, how dare he scold her for anything?

_He's angry..._

_Yeah, he is. Try to make it the rest of the way before he really does ask the guard to carry you._

Her ankle didn't want to hold her weight at first, the joint protesting with every step, but at lest she was able to get to the bottom without further incident. Once they were back on a flat surface, Asher took the lead, leaving her to walk behind him. It wasn't long before the injury went numb, though it was only going to hurt worse later once she had a chance to let it rest.

_Do you think he's close to a breakthrough yet? Is that why he's working so hard?_

_Either that or he's hitting a wall and he doesn't want to admit it._

It didn't matter, though for her sake he didn't say anything. If Asher managed to take the next step in his research, then who knew what other experiments waited for them? More of this? Or something worse? Even if giving the second personality freedom of movement was his end goal, there was no denying this entire thing was illegal. He'd have to destroy the evidence before going public, which meant they were dead. And if he failed, if all of this was for nothing? He wasn't the type to give up, he'd just keep at it, until again, they were dead.

Asher opened the door and let her in first. The guard came after, and a large, rough hand curled around her shoulder. She let him lead her, making no effort at all to pull away as she was made once more to sit in the chair. Fighting was never an option here, she'd only tire herself out faster. The door closed, and Asher came to set the restraints. She recoiled as far back away from him as she could, still refusing eye contact. When she was properly secured, the guard went to stand by the door, ready to take action should something go wrong.

Asher put the glue on the first wire, and stuck it up by her temple. "So, has Subject B moved at all?"

She didn't answer him out loud, instead replying with a tiny shake of the head.

"Can you still feel her in there?"

She nodded.

"Have there been any noticeable changes?"

She shook her head. Asher hummed and stuck another wire to her. There were a lot of them, each positioned over a specific area of the skull. They hung over her face, annoying things that tickled whenever she moved. Her fingers curled, gripping the armrests, barely aware of the splinters that worked their way into the soft skin under her nails.

The questions were the same he always asked, although why he bothered was anyone's guess. If something important actually did change, he'd have to figure out what it was himself. She never spoke to the scientist, never said a word to him. At least, not that he remembered, though his own memory was no less fractured than hers was.

As far as he knew, she'd never begged, or thrown insults, or even struggled outside of what naturally happened when she was hurt. She just waited. Asher commented about it sometimes, but didn't seem to care one way or the other. She could probably get away with not answering his questions at all if she wanted, but she wasn't willing to risk pissing him off.

When all of the wires were in place, he stood, and went over to the machine. Once he wasn't right in front of her, she glanced up, wincing as the room came to life with the all too familiar buzz of electricity. Dials were turned, buttons were pushed, another frequency getting ready to burn through her veins.

He curled around her, covering her with a soft pressure that she leaned into as Asher's hand wrapped around the lever.

Her muscles all seized at once, out of her control, jerking against the restraints even though the strain only made it hurt worse. The shriek cut into her ears, then faded into nothing when her lungs ran out of air. Her fingers curled fully into fists, making the shards of wood dig in deeper and break off from the armrests. All thought faded with that simple flip of a switch, the only thing either of them knew was the fire that raged inside her.

She went limp when it stopped, slumped to one side, eyes glazed and unfocused. Asher approached, and she didn't move.

"How is it now, friends? Any luck yet? Subject B, can you hear me?" he asked, prodding at the side of her head. With effort, she inhaled, a shaky breath that fought her throat as she forced it through. There was no response, she lay there, gasping, silent. "How about you, Subject A? Can you hear her? Can she talk to you?"

She moved at that, shaking her head once, eyes snapping shut when a wave of nausea curdled her stomach. They'd agreed a long time ago that it was best if he didn't know they could communicate. Partially because the fact that some of the others admitted to hearing the second personality meant that more attention would focus on those subjects instead of them, but mostly because why the hell should they cooperate with him? She took a moment to gather her strength, then sat up, the position easier on her diaphragm.

Asher hissed through his teeth and went back to the machine. She watched him go, taking in the tension in his shoulders, the harsh footfalls as he walked across the room.

_You're right, I don't think he's getting anywhere...what do you...what do you think that means for us?_

_I don't know, love. I think..._

He trailed off as her question was answered. Asher didn't stop to take notes. He twisted the dials, set the machine to another frequency, and went right back to the lever. Everything froze in the split second it took for him to realize what was happening. There was no break, no time to recover, just a jump from one electric shock to the next. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, a whine leaked past her throat as she recoiled back into the chair. Every nerve in her body tightened as, together, they both panicked.

Then the lever went down, and all they knew was pain.

The world went dark, and the scientist was yelling at them. Asher's voice was loud and piercing, but for the life of him he couldn't make out what was being said. A hand wrapped around her throat, pushing her back into the chair. She cringed, her scorched nerve endings crying out at the contact.

It vanished a moment later. All he could hear was the rush of air ringing in her ears, and the frantic pulse beating away at her skull.

The third wave struck before even the faintest light could work its way back into her vision.

He couldn't tell when it stopped, only that it had. One moment the electricity poured into her body, and the next, she was limp. She was limp and her lungs were on fire.

_Love. Love, you need to breathe. Breathe for me._

Wetness dripped down her face. The strain of the straps around her limbs told him she was trying to curl in on herself.

_Darling, sweetheart, it's okay. It's okay, everything's going to be fine. Listen to me, breathe._

_Make it stop make it stop stop hurts please make it stop hurts please-!_

She was screaming in her head, her thoughts harsh against his own. He pressed himself into her, trying hard not to scream himself, trying to force back his own fear so he could help her.

_I know, but you need to breathe. Just breathe._

_What did I do wrong?!_

_You didn't do anything wrong, love. Come on, focus._

The tiniest hitch, a weak, uneven gasp of air. Then another. It wasn't enough, not when another shock could strike them at any time.

_Keep going. More than that. Breathe in deeply._

_I can't!_

_It's okay. You're okay._

Her eyes were open. He could see the white of the office, the blurry red flare that was Asher and the dark brown and gray that was the guard. No. It was another guard. There were two of them.

He caught a string of words, fighting to put the sounds together into something he could understand.

"...attacked...ran...we can't...he's..."

The guard's words were sharp. Urgent. Whatever happened, it made Asher pause, his attention drawn away from them for the moment. Long enough to give her a chance to recover. She finally managed to pull in a proper breath, releasing it with a squeak that went ignored by the others.

_Good, you're doing good. Keep going. You can do this._

_I don't wanna do this anymore!_

She sobbed, her throat clenching, making it even harder to get the air she needed in.

_Don't give up. We're going to get outside, remember?_

Asher motioned one guard toward the chair, his movements harsh, agitated. "...to her cell."

What, what? Was it over? Already? What was going on?

Just like that, Asher was following the other guard out of the room, leaving her alone with the first. The guard cursed harshly under his breath as he knelt to undo her restraints.

_Are we done...?_

_It looks like it..._

"Get up. Let's get going." the guard ordered. Her joints popped, her muscles trembling as she pulled herself to her feet. With every step, her legs threatened to give out from under her.

At least they were alive, he thought. But he didn't think they'd be so lucky next time, not with Asher acting the way he was.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a slow, slow walk back to their cell. The guard's irritation grew with every stumble, the tension tightening around him as she struggled just to put one foot in front of the other. She hadn't been given a chance to rest, her nerves still frayed and her muscles numb and trembling. The guard didn't care, he snapped orders at her to hurry up, even went so far as to shove a hand between her shoulder blades in an effort to make her move faster. This of course only made her tip over and almost fall flat on her face.

Under the fear for their future, he found himself starting to seethe. He was already angry at that monster pretending to be a scientist, and now this asshole was going to be a bully. Her heart pounded hard in her head, and while he wasn't sure which of them was causing it, he tried to calm himself, for her. She didn't need to be feeling the effects of his suffering on top of her own.

All too soon, they were there, at the bottom of the stairs. He felt her tense, a moment of hesitation that earned her another snarl of impatience from the guard.

_Ignore him, love. Just take it slow._

_...okay._

With a deep breath, she put her foot on the first step and, this was the hard part, she shifted forward, stepping up. The leg didn't want to hold her weight, and she had to scramble to get her other leg under her before she tilted too much in either direction. If he'd just give her a moment to gather herself, but no, which made climbing the series of steps even harder than normal.

It took ages, each step an obstacle that took effort to clear, and all the while the guard breathed down her neck. Her fingers curled into a fist, skin crawling at the sickly heat she felt coming off of him.

_Almost there. Just two more. You can rest soon._

He encouraged her as best he could, making sure to press into her when she made it, standing triumphantly at the top of the staircase. However, that was as far as she got. Her feet caught on each other when she tried to move forward, and she collapsed to her knees, the joints hitting the concrete with a thud.

The guard had enough. "Oh, for the love of- get the fuck off the floor and just _move it_ will you?" He grabbed her arm, her injured arm, and hauled her up to her feet.

She squealed, pain searing from wrist to elbow. Then it deepened, her teeth bared in agony, only to sharpen into snarl of rage. The fingers of her other hand curled into claws as they went for the bastard's eye, nails digging in until there was a disgusting pop and wetness oozed out, hot and thick. The man shrieked, jerking away, stumbling back.

He hit the open air under the first step, and fell, his cries breaking of part off the way down.

She collapsed there, gasping, shaking, her gaze on the motionless body at the bottom. His head was tilted at an unnatural angle. Was he...? He was.

He felt a dark pleasure boil up, and her lips pulled back into a smile. With a gasp, her hand raised to press against her mouth, and he froze.

_Was that you? Did you move?_

_I think I did. I think I..._

He pulled her hand away from her mouth, gaze moving away from the guard to focus on her palm. He flexed her finders, watching the bend of each knuckle as it curled up and straightened outward. Her other hand rested at her side, and he pulled that one up too. This one was still covered in eye fluid. He flexed them both, and her lungs caught, and he couldn't believe that he was the one who'd disrupted her breathing.

_I can move._

_You can move!_

_...we need to get out of here. Now. This is what Asher wants. We need to..._

He tried to get her standing at the exact time she tried to make the same move, resulting in her feet kicking out from under her, and she fell to her side. With a gasp, she scrambled away from the stairs, too close to the edge for her liking. He cringed, and he felt her expression shift to reflect it.

_I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, but we have to move. Go downstairs again. The front door should be ground level._

_No. That isn't right._

She stood, carefully, looking away from the stairs and down the hall.

_Do you remember how to get out?_

_No. But look. There aren't any windows. Places you can see outside? Have you ever seen a window here?_

_I don't think so. Why?_

_If there aren't any windows, then we need to go up._

Her legs shook under her as she started moving, going past the door to their cell. Already, they were reaching parts of the lab he'd never seen. The corridors twisted this way and that, a maze of unknown size, each wall with another locked door holding other prisoners. Walking was a little easier, the shock from the electricity starting to ease, but it was by no means a quick pace. She was sluggish, though she pushed herself to go as fast as she could. It wasn't long before the numbness gave way to a dull burning. Her heart pounded hard, almost to the point of hurting her, and she had to keep pausing to catch her breath.

He flickered her eyes back and fourth, keeping close attention to their surroundings. If they ran across another guard, they'd be caught. Anyone could overpower her in this state, and she wasn't going to be able to outrun them. Maybe if they aimed for the face, like with the last guy. Even if he didn't fall and break his neck, the pain from a lost eye could be enough to dissuade further attack.

No, that wasn't enough. That could only anger their attacker into injuring them. What if they took it further? Put her finger past the eye? Could they get to the brain, kill the guard quickly?

Surly that would require a weapon of some kind. They should have searched the guy they killed...

The guy _he_ killed. _He_ should have searched him, and it was _his_ fault he didn't. Then again, going down the stairs only to climb back up again would have wasted too much time, time they didn't have.

Around yet another corner, there was another staircase. Go up, she'd said? This was a good sign then. But it was a big staircase. She paused, letting out a small whine at the sight of the thing.

_You can do it. We can do it. I'll help you._

Cautiously, he took a step, and he felt her tense briefly with a start.

_That's so weird. Is this what you feel like when I move?_

_Maybe. But I'm used to it._

His taking control didn't ease the cramping muscles in the slightest. But he was determined, forcing her weakened body up the steps despite its protests. Halfway up, she was squealing, fighting his movements. With a twitch, she made her knee buckle, and she fell onto the steps.

_It hurts! Stop, just a moment, please, it hurts._

_I know love, but we need to get out before Asher finds us._

_Please..._

He waited. He counted to ten. And then he started crawling, hoping to take the pressure off her legs by ascending on all fours.

At the top, he pulled her to her feet and went down the next hall.

He didn't like this. Where were the guards? Was something going on with Asher? Did one of the other test subjects get out?

_Wait, look!_

She made him stop walking, her momentum carrying her forward, she fell to the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. He hissed in pain, but it came out as a whimper when her throat contracted. Opening the eyes she'd clenched shut, she looked at another staircase off to the right, this one leading up to a door.

Bracing herself, she pushed away from the floor, and started for it. They crawled up the final flight of steps, her lungs heaving from the effort, her head spinning. He brought her up the last few, and she reached up with a shaking hand to turn the knob and push the door open.

He screamed, covering her face, agony stabbing into her eyes as light brighter than anything he'd ever seen poured down onto them.

Blind, she staggered out into sun's harsh rays, slamming the door closed behind her. With no idea where they were going, they took turns in making their way forward, trying to put as much distance between her and that damn facility as possible. Little by little, her eyes started to adjust enough that they could see flashes of her surroundings.

Green. So much green and brown, a mess of pillars surrounding them on all sides, reaching up high above. Several of them passed by before he recognized what they must be.

He stopped. So did she. This wasn't the time for this, but the realization of what they were seeing hit them both hard enough to give them pause. Together, they stared at the things in quiet amazement, tears welling up to drip down her cheeks.

_Are those trees?_

_Yeah._

_We're outside, love._

_We made it. We actually made it._

_Is that the sky?_

_It is._

_You never told me the sky hurt._

_It's not supposed to._

With a shudder, he glanced behind her, but saw nothing. The building they'd come from was well hidden by the forest. Suddenly she felt heavy, the world starting to blur from more than just the liquid pouring from her eyes.

They couldn't rest yet.

Turing back to the path that lay ahead, they pushed onward.


	5. Chapter 5

A dark grey path cut through the forest, the surface hard and rough, reeking of burnt chemicals and smoke. It was there they stopped, her body giving out from strain by the road. With what little strength she had left, she crawled into the protective leaves of a bush, barely feeling the sharp prick of branches as they tore into her skin. The crisp, clean scent of nature dulled the filth of smog. The smell was sweet, comforting, further fogging his already faded thoughts. He felt her go before him, her mind slipping away to a place it could rest.

It felt wrong that their first taste of freedom should be spent in sleep. It felt worse still to be motionless when the lab was still so close by. As soon as Asher discovered their absence, he would no doubt set to hunting them down. Hopefully, the street would be a deterrent. The scientist wouldn't dare risk being seen by one of the passing cars, not this close to where he hid his secrets. It was too much of a risk for him.

He watched the vehicles dart by, large metal machines painted to look sleek and shiny. The bright colors offset the danger they posed, made them look harmless when really they were anything but. As he started to doze off himself, he thought about what could happen if he tried to stop one so he could ask for help. The people inside might not see her in time, and strike them down. Or worse, they might see her, and speed up with malicious intent. What if he got someone's attention, and it turned out to be a guard?

It was too dangerous to seek anyone out. They were on their own.

He let her eyes close, and left her body be. His mind pressed up against her own, and he drifted off to sleep himself.

They lay there for a long, long time, until the overbearing light in the sky faded. When he woke up, the world had gone dim, shadows overtaking almost every surface. It was unnerving, and instinctively he tried to curl her up tighter. A hiss of pain parted her teeth, and she yelped, eyes clenching shut. Everything hurt, every muscle in her body stiff and sore.

_I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to wake you._

_It's okay. Are you alright?_

_I'm fine. It's just...dark._

_Oh, hey. It is. It's dark. Look._

She opened her eyes and shifted, her joints creaking, to poke her head out of the bush. Her eyes shifted up to settle on the half circle of the moon. It was the brightest thing in the sky, but it didn't hurt to look at. All around it was a void, a blackness that went on forever, pierced only by the tiny twinkling lights of stars. Here and there, he noticed clouds, drifting lazily along the horizon.

_Oh wow._

_Is it nice?_

_It's...lovely._

Her descriptions hadn't prepared him. He'd never imagined anything could look like this. The darkness of the sky clashed with the white in a way that made it shine, made it stand out in a way that couldn't even be compared to the dull walls of the lab.

_I knew you'd like it. I have so much to show you! I just need to remember where to find everything..._

_The first thing we need to find is food and water._

_Yes...we gotta find people. There are places where they live together. That's where we need to go._

With a groan, she pulled herself free from the bush, flinching at the sharp protests in her muscles.

_It's going to be forever before that goes away, isn't it?_

_I'm afraid so...but it's okay. We're out! We're out. Darling, we're free._

She smiled, head tilting back to return her gaze skyward. They stood there at the side of the road, staring at the moon.

_I never thought I'd see it again. Do you think mom and dad are looking, too?_

_I think they are._

A giggle bubbled up, and it hurt. It hurt, but she laughed, and soon he did, too. The spasms went through her uncontrolled, until he wasn't sure which one of them was actually moving her body anymore.

_We're out!_

_We are. We're outside, sweetheart._

She reached out and touched one of the trees, feeling the rough bark under her fingertips, leaning her entire body against it, her arms wrapping around the thing in a hug. And still they laughed, a giddy, joyous sound.

A car hurtled by, and he jerked around, her hand raised to press into her mouth, as if to stifle the flood of giggles. This only made them laugh harder and soon she was on the ground, gasping for breath, head spinning from the exertion.

_We really need to get to moving, before he comes along. How do we find people?_

_Yeah. We need to follow the road, I think._

Bracing her against the tree, he tried to pull her up just as she tried to do the same. Her foot slid across the ground, and she fell to her side.

_Sorry!_

_Sorry..._

They lay there, each waiting for the other to move. He gently nudged his thoughts against hers, and, grinning, she pulled herself up.

She was ginger with her legs, limping down the side of the road. As the mirth died down, he found himself drawing her gaze back where they'd come. No one seemed to be following. Good.

Each time a car passed by, he jumped, cringing at the noise and the headlights.

 _They're not going to hurt us._ she told him after the third time he sent her heart racing.

_I'd rather get away from them as soon as possible all the same._

Anyone could be behind those steering wheels. He didn't want to point this out to her, since she hadn't tried to ask for help herself yet, but it was true. Asher himself could be in one, considering it'd been hours since their escape.

Yet no one bothered them. No one even slowed down to give them a second look.

She kept looking up at the sky, the progress of the moon from one end of the world to the other. It moved so slowly that it was hard to tell if they kept her eyes on it. Only when she'd looked away for a while could he notice its inch by inch path arching above them.

The trees seemed like they could keep going on forever, but then they cut off. They didn't thin out, they just stopped, and in their place, buildings lined the sides of the road.

_Those are houses. I don't know how big this city is, but there's going to be a lot of them. We can't get food from them, though. We need to find something else. There are other places, I think. Bigger places._

_Is there anyway to find out where anything is?_

_I don't think so. We're just supposed to know. Everyone knew before._

She swallowed, and he could feel her mouth starting to dry out again. They had to find something, and soon.

_Maybe we can ask someone where to go?_

_Maybe. I don't see anyone without a car, though._

They slowed to a stop, and sat down on the sidewalk, a yawn stretching her mouth open. Her eyes drooped, and she rested her forehead on her knees. They weren't going to be able to push her body much further. They needed to rest again but they needed supplies too.

Just a short break, then. A few minutes to gather her up so they could keep moving.

The next thing he knew, she was on her feet, the world flush with soft light, the sun's first rays peaking up to chase away the night. Her chest was tight, heart hammering hard, her arms wrapped around it as if to keep the organ from bursting free. A taller woman was looking down at her, filling his vision, her expression less than friendly.

A tiny noise squeaked out of the back of her throat, her legs tensed as if she wanted to run, but she didn't. She just stared at the woman, eyes lowered to focus on her neck rather than her face.

Bristling, he clenched her jaw, fingers curling into fists. "Who are you?"

He spoke firm and confident, letting his tension slip into the tone to produce the slightest edge. Her voice cracked, unused to being raised any louder than a whisper, but he put enough force into it that it didn't matter. He met the woman's gaze, refusing to blink.

It'd have to be a quick, sharp blow. He had no hope of killing her without strength or weapon, so he'd have to rely on injury over fatality. The eye trick again, then. He curled her fingers, ready to strike should the woman dare to come closer.

"What did I just say?" she snapped. "Were you even listening?"

"Remind me."

"Fucking...what the hell are you doing on my driveway? Did you catch it that time, or are you deaf?"

"No, I can't say I did. It's not that you're not speaking loud enough, it's just I don't understand mindless shrieking."

The woman took a step forward, and be braced himself, taking aim. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm just supposed to kick back and wait for you to hightail it in your own time. You know, _some of us_ have jobs that we don't want to be late for. But obviously you don't care about that. Now, get off my driveway, and I might not call the cops on your ass."

_Just go. Please, let's just go._

He narrowed her eyes on the woman for the span of a heartbeat, flexing her fingers.

"Fine." he said.

He took a step back, unwilling to turn away. Another step, then another. Once they were well out of arms reach, he spun around and set off as quickly as he was able.

_What happened?_

_I'm sorry! I fell asleep and she woke me up and I couldn't move!_

A whine poured out from her throat, and she raised a hand to her face, pressure building behind her eyes.

_Shh. It's okay. Everything's okay. We're fine._

He brushed her fingers over her cheek, wiping away her tears when they fell.

_I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I tried! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..._

_No love, it's okay. Darling, you didn't do anything wrong._

_I didn't do anything! I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move?_

_I don't know...but we're okay now. We're okay. She didn't hurt us. I won't let her hurt us._

He threw a glance over her shoulder. The woman was gone. A shiver went down her back, and it was his own doing. What if she wasn't really gone? What if she was...following them? She could be with the lab. It wasn't impossible.

"We'll be okay." he assured her out loud.

The only answer he got was a sob.

He looked from right to left, taking in all of he houses lined up one by one. This wasn't a safe place. The people inside weren't safe. If they couldn't even sit down for a while without confrontation, then there was no point in staying in the area.

But where to go? That was the question.

He covered her gently, like a blanket, wrapping her arms around herself in the closest thing he could get to physically holding her. Exhaustion weighed down his movements, but he shoved it away. If they had to keep going until they collapsed again, then so be it.

Finally, there was a break in the houses, a road much bigger than the one they'd been following lay in wait. She swallowed, glancing first one way, then the other.

_I think we'll find the other buildings if we go down one of these._

She sniffed, her nose clogged up from her tears. Pulling one of her arms free, she used the sleeve of her shirt to blow it in.

When she could breathe properly, he turned her head to the left.

_How about this way?_

_Yeah. Yeah that works._

There were a lot more cars driving past on the bigger road, so he kept as close to the far side of the sidewalk as he could to avoid them. She bit her bottom lip, teeth digging into the scabs, tugging at one of the more sensitive ones.

He pulled her mouth open and stuffed the side of her hand inside.

_Stop. Please._

_But I need to..._

_It hurts._

_But I need to._

_Please..._

She bit down.

He pulled her hand free, a circle of tooth marks indented into the skin. Cringing, he rubbed the area, trying to soothe the pain away.

_I'm sorry._

He let out a sigh of resignation as she went back to pulling her lip apart. Maybe he could break that habit of hers later, when they had some sort of a plan going.

_I understand. It's okay. I love you._

_I love you too._


	6. Chapter 6

By the time they drew close to the group of buildings, her body was about ready to collapse yet again. The only thing that kept her on her feet was the fear of what would happen should she try to sit down. He felt the tension twist its way into the muscles of her back and shoulders, her heart pounding heavily at the sheer number of people in this area. Some of the fear was hers, but a great deal of it was his own.

They weren't even inside the main building yet. They were out in the parking lot, surrounded by cars and shoppers both. They scurried in through one door and back out through another, each person leaving with bags full of supplies.

He couldn't hope to keep an eye on every single one of them at once. So transfixed on those in front he didn't notice one of them sneaking up from behind until she brushed by, the simple touch of shoulder against shoulder enough to make him jerk away, teeth clenching as he growled low in her throat.

This earned her a few odd looks, and he only bristled under their gaze, recoiling back toward the road. He met their gazes with a firm, unyielding one of his own. None of them made a move, but the possibility was there. They were strong, healthy, and they had numbers on their side. She, on the other hand, could hardly walk, much less run, and there was no fighting any of them off once they caught up to her.

_Are you okay?_

_No. Too many people._

He clenched her fingers to stop them from shaking, but it only did so much. Even her closed fists trembled noticeably, betraying him even as he glared as hard into the crowd as he could.

Little by little, they moved on. Some seemed frightened, others only disinterested. She was left alone, standing on the far end of the parking lot, his breathing harsh and ragged through her lungs.

_I think the smaller places have food, too. Do you wanna try one of them?_

She turned toward one of the other buildings down the street, starting for it before he had a chance to answer. He looked over her shoulder, expecting someone to be following, but he saw nothing.

Wetness dripped down her chin from a tear in her mouth, and she pressed her shirt collar into the wound, wincing as the fabric burned against delicate nerves. She'd chewed on it the entire way there, until he was half convinced she was trying to pull the lip off. The fact that he wasn't calm himself didn't help, the restless crawling in her skin was twice as bad because of him.

He took a deep breath, and softly clicked her tongue. It was a simple rhythm, one that he hopped would be soothing despite the outside noise. They both needed it.

No one crowded around the new place, which made it much easier to approach. A high pitched ding went off the moment she opened the door, and he jerked away, cringing at the noise.

She pressed her mind against his own, raising her hand to brush over her cheek.

_It's okay. That won't hurt us, either._

She made another attempt, this time successfully opening the door and stepping through without incident. The smell of food hit them both, her stomach twisting in a sharp reminder that their last meal had been a small package of crackers the day before. She swallowed reflexively, hovering by the entrance. He glanced at the few people in the area, a couple sitting near the window and a third taking a place in the corner. Five others stood behind a counter, including a male, who's eyes were on them.

He shivered, but held his gaze.

_Okay...how do we actually get the food now that we're here?_

_I don't remember. I think we talk to him?_

_So we just ask for it?_

_I think so._

"Excuse me, ma'am?" the man called, "Can I help you?"

He flexed her fingers and stepped forward, glancing over at the other people every few steps, watching them carefully. When they reached the counter, he waited a moment, giving her a chance to talk. She didn't. He could feel the words start to come, tiny movements in her vocal chords as they prepared to produce noise, but whatever she might have said got caught in her throat. With a single, strained whimper, she looked away.

_What's wrong?_

_I can't..._

He looked up. Gaze locked with the man, he noticed a hardness around his eyes, a twinge of irritation behind a practiced smile. He spoke for her. "Yes...actually. How do I get something to eat?"

The man, Seth according to the name tag, looked at them for a few moments too long. He saw the muscles in Seth's jaw tense up, another crack in the pleasant mask he wore. He leaned away from the counter. The thing was low enough it wouldn't be hard for the man to leap over it if he held ill intent.

"You just tell me what you want, then you pay for it, and we bring it right out to you."

"What do you mean pay for it?"

With a huff, Seth shook his head. "Look ma'am, I sympathize with your position, I do, but I can't just give food away. It'll cost me my job. If you don't have any money, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The other people behind the counter glanced their way, and he took half a step back. When he spoke, his voice was level, and as firm as her natural feather soft tone could get. "Alright. I'll go. But tell me what money is first."

Seth snorted, a sharp burst of humorless laughter. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here, ma'am, but if you don't leave I'm going to be forced to call the police."

That was the second time someone threatened to call in reinforcements in less than an hour. He let out a frustrated huff of air, and retreated, slinking out the front door without another word. The light burned at her eyes, and he shielded them, leaning her back against the wall just outside the entrance.

_Who do they want to send after us? Cops, police? Are they like the guards?_

_I don't know._

Slowly, he lowered her hand, doing his best to ignore the pain as he looked around. They couldn't afford the risk of not seeing an enemy coming for them. The sharp rays of the sun weren't quite as harsh as they'd been in the first minutes of their escape, which he was grateful for, though he could feel another ache starting up behind her eyes. It throbbed away deep in the skull, seeming to keep in time with her heartbeat.

He didn't move. The man wanted them out of the building, he hadn't said anything about standing outside it. If he wouldn't explain what money was to them, they'd just have to wait until someone else came by and asked for food.

_So what's wrong, love? Is it hard to talk?_

Her tongue prodded at the raw flesh of her lip, her hands coming together to brush restlessly against one another.

_I couldn't get the words out. I don't understand._

_Can you say something now?_

"...something now."

It was startling how much softer her speaking voice was than his own. The words were almost no more than a whisper, so quiet that he was the only one who would have been able to hear them, even if someone else was trying to listen in. Had she always spoken like this, and he just didn't notice because there was never any background noise?

_Try again, darling. Louder._

"S...some...t-thing...n...nhhh..."

_I'm sorry._

_No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. I'll talk for you._

The door opened. Cringing, he stepped back along the wall, her fingers curling hard enough around each other that it started to hurt. It was the couple. Neither of them gave her a second look as they passed by.

Maybe sticking around wasn't such a good idea. They needed to find someplace safer, more secluded, an area they could hide out in while she regained her strength. He glanced through the glass, toward the man at the counter.

Shelter would only go so far if they starved to death where they lay. They needed a source of food.

The seconds dragged by, her body weighing down heavily on her the longer she stood there. It'd be so much easier to just let her slide to the ground and rest.

_I don't think anyone else is gonna come._

_There has to be someone else in the area looking to eat._

_I'm tired._

_Bear with me, sweetheart._

The single guy was next to leave. Once he was gone, the building was empty, save for those behind the counter. He watched them, hurrying around with a rag to sterilize the tables. Trash was picked up and thrown in bins, floors were swept. Her eyes fell out of focus, the motion inside becoming a blur of action.

The door opened, and he jumped to attention at the ding, her heart hammering in her chest as he braced for attack.

None came. A small group of three walked up to the counter on the other side of the glass.

He pressed her face into the smooth surface, watching as one of them spoke with Seth. There was a lot of nodding and false smiles that led to the man pressing a series of buttons on a small machine at the counter.

Then the woman that had been talking to him reached into the brown bag she was carrying, and handed Seth a sheet of green paper.

The paper went into the machine, only for Seth to pull something out of it, something too small for him to see at this distance, and hand it to her. He also gave her a white piece of paper. The process seemingly complete, she led the group off to sit at one of the tables.

_I think that was money. Do you remember anything about it now? How do we get a hold of it?_

No answer.

_Love?_

She'd settled in the back of her head, sound asleep. He thought about waking her up, but shook her head, finally turning away from the building to start the long journey back down the road. As much as he hated to leave without anything to eat, there wasn't a thing he could do about the food situation while she slept. She was right, they should rest and then worry about food when they weren't ready to drop where they stood.

Who knows? Maybe they'd be lucky and find an easier food source in the other direction.

He hated relying on luck.


	7. Chapter 7

The field of grass stretched out in front of them far and wide, not a single house or building built to stand over the bright green landscape. For a moment, he thought perhaps he'd brought her to the edge of the city, that they were about to enter the forest again, but the sparing number of trees told him otherwise. There were only a handful of the towering pillars scattered here and there, spaced much too far apart to form a canopy. On one far end was an area cut off from the grass with planks of wood, the inside of the makeshift container filled with clear white sand. One the other end, he saw a series of brightly colored contraptions, ones he would have sworn might be dangerous machines if it weren't for the children playing on them.

Wooden brown benches littered the area, some of them occupied with an adult holding a book, or a couple leaning on each other as they watched the young ones running about. One individual stayed away from the others, his attention centered on a small furry animal that bounded around him in circles, yapping for the ball in his hands.

Was that a dog, he wondered? Was this a park?

But that didn't matter. For the moment, the most important aspect of the place was right in front of them. At the center of the field stood a tall stone tower that drained water from its top down into a large concrete bowl under it. The flow was continuous, without pause or break in pressure.

He approached and knelt, a hand on the rim of the bowl to steady her as he reached down into the pool. It was cool against her skin, clear and clean enough that he could see down to the bottom. Odd metal circles littered an otherwise smooth surface.

It was amazing. There was just so much water, more than they could drink in a week all right there available to him. He almost had to remind himself to go slow, to pace himself so as not to overwork her cramping stomach. After three small handfuls, he pulled away, panting for breath.

Once he was on the ground, it was over. Exhaustion hit her body hard the moment he stopped moving it, overworked joints and muscles refusing to let him take a single step more. With a groan, he slumped over onto her side, the grass tickling her skin.

There was no reason they shouldn't be able to rest where they were. All around him, he could see people sitting, and no one came out to yell at them. Still, he found himself not wanting to let her eyes close. No one seemed to pay them any mind, but that didn't mean they weren't pretending not to notice. Maybe they were waiting for him to nod off, so they could make a move while he was asleep.

He distracted himself by watching the kids. She'd told him that was how most people started out, small and innocent, protected by their parents as they grew. He tried to imagine what that might be like. They laughed and rolled over one another, amazed by every little thing around them. There was one little girl that was so intently focused on spinning around in circles that it seemed she'd never stop. Now and again, she'd tumble to the ground, shrieking, only to bounce back up a moment later for another round.

It must be wonderful, he thought, to be in such a state of ignorant bliss. To have no idea what lurked outside of the little plastic bubble one lived in. At the same time, he realized, it was so much more dangerous. His gaze shifted to the row of adults. How many of those people were actually there to supervise? How many of them were monsters like Asher, hidden in plain sight, looking for a chance to make their move?

He clenched her teeth together. She'd been one of those kids, once. Small and laughing, with parents who loved her. She'd had a dog and a world of happiness, her own innocent little bubble to live in.

Asher took that away. It almost didn't matter how old she'd actually been when she went to the lab, because she'd been stripped of most of her childhood anyway. Those memories were gone, she wasn't getting them back. The scientist might as well have stolen her when she was as small as the kids, for all she could remember of her past.

Her eyes were closed before he realized it, and with a start, he snapped them open and looked around. No change. No one seemed to have noticed her.

His mind pressed into her own, as if he could take shelter within her thoughts. She shifted, curling around him in the confines of her head. For a moment, he thought maybe she'd wake up, but she settled back down a moment later.

Despite the fact that this did nothing to conceal her body from the surrounding threats, he felt soothed by her presence against him. Slowly, he found her breath deepening, her eyes slipping closed, muscles uncoiling one by one.

When he woke up, he found a sea of stars twinkling across his vision. He blinked, and she smiled.

"Hey." she murmured, voice just above a whisper. The flow of water was almost too loud for him to be able to hear her.

_How are you?_

_Better now. You?_

_Better._

The smile faded somewhat. He felt a tingle of fear crawl its way through her chest.

_What's wrong?_

_I'm okay. Did you find a-_

She started to sit up, and fire shot though the muscles in her arms and lower back. Squeaking, she went limp, fingers curling into the ground as she waited for it to pass.

 _Did you find a park?_ she finished.

_Yes. At least, I think it is. I'm not quite sure, though._

Without moving, she glanced around, taking in the trees and the benches. They were alone, not another person in sight.

_It looks like a park._

She reached out gingerly and touched the side of the concrete bowl, the skin around her eyes tightening at the stone surface under her skin. Her hand pulled away, and she looked at it, stared at the fingers as she flexed them. There were dark traces of soil clinging to her skin from the ground.

_Is that dirt?_

_Yeah. Love, are you sure you're okay?_

_Yeah._ Her other hand ran back and fourth over the grass, her eyes losing focus as she stared up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud to be seen, just stars, and the moon, and an endless void. They were both silent. Something wasn't right, but he didn't want to push her if she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe she'd just had a bad dream? He hoped that was all it was. After almost a minute, she asked, _Can we get something to drink now that you're up?_

_Sure. Thank you for waiting for me._

The process of getting up to lean over the edge of the bowl was agony, drawing whines and whimpers from her as she inched herself into position. Liquid flooded down her throat, though she made sure to stop at just three handfuls.

_What are these?_

She reached down and pulled out one of the small metal disks. To his surprise, it came off with no effort. It wasn't attached at all.

_I don't know. I thought they were a part of the water thing._

The disk was silver, and it was hard to see the details in the low light. Dragging herself to her feet, she wandered out of the park to stand at the side of the road under the beam of a streetlight. On one side, there was a great beast with a thing in its mouth, and the word Alaska printed up above. On the other side, there was...a head? And the words...she squinted. Liberty. In God we trust. United States of America. Quarter Dollar.

_What's any of that mean?_

_I dunno. Dollar. I know that word._

_I don't think I've ever heard it._

She gave a low, frustrated hum, then shook her head.

_I can't remember._

_It's okay. We'll ask someone in the morning. Why don't we go lay back down? Get some more rest while no one's here. Tomorrow, we need to worry about food._

_Okay._

She made the painful trip back to the water tower and lay down next to it, the metal disk stored in the pocket of her jeans for safe keeping. Settling down, she lay on her back once more, looking up at the sky. A yawn stretched her jaw open wide.

_Can you help me sleep, please?_

_Of course._

"Thank you." she murmured out loud.

He draped himself over her, and pushed down. Within seconds, she was out, and he was alone once more. His thoughts curled snugly against hers, and with one last glance at the sky overhead, he closed her eyes, and tried to get some sleep himself. 


	8. Chapter 8

The light was just peaking up over the horizon when he opened her eyes. With a groan, he started to stretch, only to yelp and curl inward. Every time they stopped moving, the stiffness in their muscles seemed to only get worse. After years of captivity and starvation, it was no wonder her body protested the near constant exercise they'd forced it to endure.

A series of deep, rumbling booms shattered the air next to her head, and all the pain was forgotten as he flung her to her feet. Less than a foot away, close enough that he could feel it's heated breath, stood a massive four legged creature. It snapped at the air, paws scrabbling along the grass, struggling to clamp sharp teeth down on fragile skin. He scrambled backward, only to catch her legs on the edge of the stone bowl. With a splash, they fell in, the icy water pouring over her head from the top part of the tower.

Somewhere between the barking and the cold shower, she woke up.

_Dog! Big dog!_

"Woah! Darcy, Darcy stop! Heel!" Someone called out behind it. Within moments the thing calmed, tongue lulling out as it panted, stepping back to stand at the side of its owner. The man in question looked shaken himself. "Oh, hell, I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you there...are you alright?"

No answer. He could still see the bared fangs, the look in its eyes as it struggled toward them. Head spinning, he pulled her up again, a growl of his own burning her throat as he fled to the other side of the fountain. It would have been a good show of force if the sound wasn't so short lived, her lungs demanding more air than he was able to provide. He glanced down, searching, desperate for anything he could use as a weapon. A rock, something- _anything_ hard.

"Hey, hey it's okay. Damn, Darcy... come on, give her some space, stay. Miss? Just- just calm down, deep breaths." The man left the dog where it stood and started to circle around toward where she was.

"Back off!" he put as much venom into her voice as he could.

The owner stopped, then raised both hands, palms out. False surrender, to lower their guard. If he thought he was going to fall for a cheap tactic like that... "Listen. I'm so sorry about that. Here, let me-"

"No. Stay back, don't touch me!"

"Alright, alight. I won't, I swear." The man's tone softened. He glanced down, taking in her worn grey shirt, filthy with dirt and sweat, the cloth littered with holes. Her jeans weren't faring much better. When he looked back up, his gaze was met with a sharp glare.

Slowly, making sure she could see, the man put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a strip brown. From inside that, he pulled out... a green sheet of paper. The money was placed on the ground, and he pulled back to regroup with his dog. "I really am sorry, miss. Good luck..."

_ They're leaving. We're okay.  _

They weren't leaving. It was a trap, it had to be, they were waiting for his guard to lower. But neither human nor pet gave him a second glance. They took their leave of the park entirely, and still he stood there, shivering. His breath caught in her throat, too fast, not fast enough. A hand raised to clench at her chest, nails digging into the skin under the cloth.

_Hey. Hey, we're alright. They left. They're gone._

He shook her head, taking a step back. Looking away, he tore his attention away from the road, eyes darting around the rest of the park. There were two more people wandering about with dogs. They were smaller, and farther away. Unlikely to be part of the same group, but they could be pretending not to know each other.

_It's a trick._

_Why would he want to trick us?_

_Could be working for Asher._

_But...if it was Asher, wouldn't he just send a bunch of guards?_

Resistance. She interrupted his gasps of air to take in a slow, deep breath. Then another, fighting to force her body back into a normal rhythm.

_They could have killed us. The dog wanted to. If the owner wasn't there-_

_They didn't kill us, we're sill here, we're okay._

_They could come back. We need to go._

He started to move, but she stopped him, turning back to the paper that still lay in the grass. She grabbed at it, the texture rough under her fingers. The moment she straightened up, he started toward the entrance. Not two seconds later, he stopped to look down at the bill. It had several tens printed over it, the surface faded with age and somewhat oily.

_We can't leave._

_Why not?_

He recoiled, backtracking further into the park.

_They know we need food. We need money to get food. If they give us money, that'll attract us to the buildings. They're setting up an ambush._

A shiver went down her back, he turned, the paper crinkling in her hand under his grip. One of the dog owners looked away just as he made to meet her gaze.

_They're watching us._

They couldn't go out the front, nor they couldn't stay where they were. He went for the back of the park, walking wide circles around the others, breath catching when he caught the other one looking. The world spun, but he ignored it, pushing her toward the brick wall. A breeze went by, chilling her already cool skin.

The top of the wall was well above her head, and though he could jump high enough to reach the edge, her fingers were too weak to grab on. Her legs crumpled under her upon landing, and they tumbled hard to the ground. Pulling her back up, he located a tree that stood by the wall, but came across the same problem. They were physically incapable of climbing even the lowest branches.

They were trapped.

He whirled to face the park, pressed her back into the bricks. The other two pretended not to notice, as if they were too interested in their pets to notice their target was helpless.

_I don't think they're interested. I think the dog was just an accident._

_Then why do they keep looking at us?_

_They aren't, not really._

She directed him first to one of them, then the other. They weren't looking, but they were. They had been, he saw it.

There was nowhere for them to go. So he hid, darting behind the tree, the thick bark remained between them and the dog walkers. It was a pathetic hiding place, but it was all he had. He pressed her into the tree and watched them. Another breeze cut through their wet clothes, her teeth clattering together in an effort to generate warmth. She tried to click her tongue, but it was too cold.

Instead, she used the paper. Pressing it into her ear, she drew her thumb back and fourth over one side.

He shook her head, lowering her hand. A small wine bubbled out, but he ignored it.

_We can't let our guard down._

_Okay...sorry..._

She bit her lip restlessly as he stared out into the park, watching their every move. He felt he burn in her lungs start to ease, her efforts to control her breath coming through. All too late, he realized he'd been hyperventilating.

They could have passed out because of him. A stupid mistake. He was always warning her against breathing too fast, and what was he out there doing? Anything could happen to them if they fell unconscious, and it'd be completely his fault.

One of the dog walkers left, only to be replaced by another, and another still. Neither contacted the one remaining owner, and neither seemed to notice them hiding behind the tree.

_I think we're safe._

A pause, a beat of silence as she waited for him to respond. He didn't.

_Maybe we can get something to eat?_

_We can't, love._

_But we need to._

She was right. They'd gone too long without food already. He groaned low in her throat, looking down from the park to look at the sheet of paper. It was what they needed. He didn't like it, that someone just gave it to them. It was too easy. There had to be something up.

Another breeze, and she shuddered, the noise he made transformed into a whine at the last second.

_And it's warmer inside. We need to get warm so we can dry off._

_Fine. But we're not going without a weapon of some sort._

Again, he looked to the ground for something they could use. This time, they were in luck. There weren't any rocks, but there was a broken piece of brick laying a few feet away. He grabbed it, then stuffed it into her jeans. Best they didn't know he had it, keep the element of surprise on their side. With a deep breath, he stepped out into the open.

No one looked their way. He took a step, then another, the distance between where he was and where the end of the park lay seeming longer than it should have been. Another step, moving forward, every muscle prepared for a fight.

There was a glance here and there, but no one lingered on them for long.

They reached the entrance untouched. He glanced down one side of the road to the other. No more people than usual. Nothing to indicate someone was waiting for them. That only made it worse.

He could feel her legs twitch, wanting to get started toward the buildings, but she didn't press it. She didn't make him move before he was ready. Steeling himself, he started walking. The trip was much slower than it was the day before. Every time someone came within arms reach, he flinched away, walked wide circles, glared at anyone who came too close.

When they made it to the fast food place, he stood outside the door for a good ten minutes, staring at the people inside. There were more than the day before, a total of eight as opposed to three. Seth was still standing at the counter.

Her stomach cramped as the smell drifted through the edges of the door. Cringing, they near doubled over at the pain, mouth starting to water as a full body ache started up. Not able to wait any longer, he pushed through, stepping into the building. The heated air felt wonderful, but they still shivered as they approached the man.

He put the money on the counter, glancing at those already seated, each of them more interested in their meal than they were in anything else. Returning his gaze to Seth, he spoke as evenly as he could. "What can I get with this?"

Seth shrugged. "Almost anything you want. Most everything on the menu is under five-"

"Pick something. I don't care." He looked up at the mess of words on the board, then shook her head. "As long as it's something I can eat."

"I'd recommend the chicken fingers."

"Sure."

"Want a combo? Comes with fries and a drink."

"Yes."

"Coming right up."

The ten dollar bill was put into the machine, four singles pulled out in exchange. Seth handed these over, as well as several coins, like what they saw in the fountain. So that was money all along, then? He also gave them a white slip of paper, and an empty cup.

He stared at the cup, turning it over. What were they supposed to do with...?

"Name?" Seth asked.

"...what?"

"What name do we put your order under?"

"I don't..."

What...was her name? He couldn't believe he didn't know. They'd been together for so long, he didn't even think to ask for a name.

_Love?_

_I don't remember. I'm sorry, I don't..._

"Ah...Anna." he said the first name that came to mind. "My name's Anna."

_Anna?_

Seth nodded. "Anna it is. Oh, the soda fountain is over there." He motioned to a...machine, with different words, and metal levers.

"...thank you."

He wandered away to examine them. It didn't take long to work out that applying pressure to the various levers brought liquids out. Experimentally, he put some with the red and white logo into the cup. What pooled inside was a dark, bubbling fluid. It smelled...weird. Someone moved, and he jumped, pressing into the wall as one of the customers approached to fill their cup. He watched them go, returning to their table like they didn't even notice her there.p

_Are you okay?_

_...yeah. Fine._

Slowly, he looked back into the cup. Cautiously, he put it to her lips, taking a sip.

He nearly dropped the cup, coughing as the acidic sludge sizzled and popped in her throat. He dumped the rest out and filled it was water instead. What were people doing drinking this? Trying to poison themselves?

_Let's not do that again._

_Agreed._

He picked a chair close to the counter, and as far away from the other people as possible.

They sat in silence for about three seconds.

_But really, Anna?_

_It's the only thing I could think of._

_You named me after a dog!_

He felt her mouth tug back, a tiny smile. She wasn't angry, she was amused. The twinge of warmth flaring in her chest helped to loosen the knot of tension coiling within him. Her eyes were on the people in the back, taking in their movements, waiting. They were getting food. It was still too good to be true, but no one had made a move for them yet.

_I did. Anna's a good name, isn't it? Anna. Hello Anna. You need a name if you're going to be out here._

She snorted, smile growing.

_Well, then so do you._

He shook her head.

_I don't need a name._

_If you call me Anna then I want to call you something. And I don't think Subject B is a good name, do you?_

_Good point, love._

"Anna?"

Well, that was fast. He stood up and went over to the counter, the food presented on a red plastic platter. There was so much of it. More than he'd ever seen at one time before. Swallowing, he pulled the tray in close, half curled around it, taking it back to the table.

_I know what I'm going to name you._

_What?_

_Seth._

_You're going to name me after that guy?_

_Yes. You named me after a dog._

_At least I named you after_ _someone you liked! Seth is a jerk._

_It's a good name, isn't it?_

He snickered, the pain stopping him just short of laughter.

_Alright love, you got me._

_Glad to hear it, Seth._

_Likewise, Anna._

Still grinning, he lifted a strip of chicken to her mouth and took a bit. It tasted better than anything he'd ever eaten before, and he had to remind them both not to scarf it down.


	9. Chapter 9

Most of the meal remained, two and a half strips of chicken and a good deal of the fries. Just those few bites were enough to fill the shrunken cavern of her stomach. It would be a good while before they could eat again without the risk of her body rejecting what they put into it.

He couldn't stop staring at their leftovers, the sheer amount of food available was nothing short of astonishing. Seth knew from watching the other customers that the entire tray was meant to be eaten in one sitting, but the idea of taking in so much at once made him feel nauseated. He ignored them in favor of wrapping up what remained in paper napkins to stuff in one of her pockets.

With the threat of starvation put on hold, he stood, feeling sluggish and heavy. Her body urged him to sit back down, to curl up and sleep while it digested, but he knew it wasn't safe to attempt such a thing. Not there, surrounded by people.

No one gave them a second glance as they walked by. Not even the other Seth behind the counter seemed to care as they made their way toward the exit. If this was an ambush, the time to strike was running out. Just as he went to step through the door, Anna recoiled, hugging her arms close to her chest as the chilly air hit her skin.

_Love, we can't stay here._

_It's cold._

He grit her teeth, her eyes turned toward the tables.

_Better to be cold than dead._

A small whine bubbled out of her throat, and she took a step back, shaking her head.

_ I don't think they're going to do anything. I don't want to go out. Please. _

He flexed her fingers, restless, and when he glanced to the side, he caught several people staring at them. A shiver ran down her back, his breath hitching, her heart skipping hard in her chest.

_I'm sorry. I'll wake you up when we're warm._

Before she could protest, he covered her, pushed her down, perhaps a bit harsher than intended. He felt a brief start before she fell silent, unconscious under him. As fast as her legs could carry her, he scrambled out the door and down the street, putting desperately needed distance between them and the crowd. The cold seeped into him, made her teeth chatter as he quivered. He refused to go back inside. This was fine, he could handle the weather. Unpleasant as it was, it wasn't lethal.

Her damp clothes clung to the skin, irritated it as he walked, making his way back to the park. Particularly around the inner thighs as they rubbed together, to the point he half wanted to take her jeans off to relieve it. Can't do that. Can't draw attention. No one else walked around with their lower body exposed, it would draw too much attention. He didn't dare even try to adjust the offending cloth. Eyes forward, shoulders squared, like nothing was wrong.

He slipped a hand into her pocket and wrapped it around the chunk of brick he'd hidden away. Whenever he passed someone, he bristled, holding tight to the weapon. Ready to pull it out and aim for the head should it be necessary. Someone was going to attack him. Maybe it was going to be the guy chatting with his teammate across the street. Maybe it'd be the woman with the dog. It was a big dog, like the one from before, and he coiled like a spring as it padded by. This one didn't even bark at him. A trick, maybe. To put him at ease so he'd let his guard down. He looked over her shoulder, watching the lady's back as she went on her way.

Maybe it'd be the one pushing a container in front of her. Bulky thing, perfect to hide weapons in. He sidestepped as far around her as far as the sidewalk would allow, the quietest of growls slipping out. Inside the basket, he saw something laying still, on its back. Not a weapon then. Something made of flesh, breathing, something alive. It was bundled up in blankets and looked very much asleep. Another pet? Like dogs?

At least this one didn't look capable of ripping their throat out if it got pissed off.

The woman looked at him and he froze, gaze trained on her own, teeth bared and hand in the pocket of Anna's jeans. He'd get her in the temple. All she had to do was take a couple steps closer. He was weak, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. If he could take the enemy with him, he would.

Too wound up to try and understand the shift in her expression, he noticed it nevertheless. Saw her eyes widen and her own jaw clench, and then she was moving on, faster than before, throwing a glance back at him several times before she disappeared around the corner. He couldn't tear his attention away from where he last saw her, knew he should keep going, but he couldn't seem to get Anna's feet to cooperate. He gulped down air in shallow, uneven breaths, and he wasn't getting enough, and the world spun uneasily around him on a tilted axis.

He felt sick. Her stomach turned, a sickening gurgle that threatened to surge up into her throat. The painful thud of concrete against her rear told him he was on the ground, and that was bad. That was very, very bad. Anyone could pin him down, he couldn't even try to run or defend himself in this position. He couldn't breathe. There wasn't enough air, was he hyperventilating? He needed to slow it down, deep even breaths, but he couldn't, he couldn't. Worry about air later, he had to get back on her feet, had to move, get to the park.

He nearly fell over pulling himself up, but his efforts paid off, and he managed to get her legs under her. The ground was somehow less even than it was before, and he stumbled as he pushed onward, wheezing past the vice clamped around her chest. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision, but he couldn't stop. It wasn't much further. Not much further at all. They'd be safe, the park was safe, he could hide in the park.

It was a relief to see the fountain, the expanse of green, but the only place that would actually provide cover were the bushes in the back. He struggled toward them, every step harder to take then the last, until her foot caught on the grass and for the second time, he found himself on the ground. The cool press of damp grass against her clothes made him realize that she wasn't cold anymore. She was hot. Far too hot for the temperature outside and for her wet clothes.

Eyes on the bushes, he resorted to crawling, pulling himself along the ground, a sharp pain in her knee when it scraped over a rock. The pulled muscle in her arm ached and throbbed, whatever healing it might have done the past day easily undone by this exertion. Noises buzzed away in the background, people in the park, adults calling out to one another, children screaming, but no one seemed to notice him.

Branches poked and scratched at skin and thorns cut through her pants and into her hip, but he couldn't think to roll over. He'd made it, he was safe and under cover and curled around the point of pressure in her chest, trying to get his breathing under control.

He lay there, he didn't know for how long, but he lay there, trying to calm himself down and failing. She slept, so close, just under him, and he wanted to wake her up and ask for help, but this was horrible, this was terrifying and he didn't want her to feel this. She didn't need to feel this. He was on his own and he couldn't breathe and tears bled out of her eyes, hot and searing against her face. He tried to click her tongue, but he couldn't move it. He couldn't move his arms from around her chest, either. He couldn't even hum.

He sobbed where he lay, and he waited for it to stop.


	10. Chapter 10

The water was cool against her fingers as she dipped them them under the surface, collecting several mouthfuls to wet her throat. Movement came hesitant and sluggish, her body resisting every inch she fought for. Thankfully, the frantic pounding of her heart had slowed to a more reasonable pace, but she was still tired, and everything hurt. She splashed her face once she was done drinking, washing off the sweat and the dirt that collected on her while she was out. Not too much water, though, she didn't want to get herself soaked and cold again, especially not at night.

He'd told her the truth, to an extent. He said that he'd tripped on the way to the park, and that was why she had these fresh injuries. It'd taken a while for her to dry off, and that was why she'd slept for so long. Not a word was said about his panic or the effect it'd had. Terror felt by either of them was common, something they knew how to deal with, but it wasn't normal for it to hurt when electricity wasn't involved. His first thought was that it meant something was wrong inside of her, that maybe after all its mistreatment, her body was finally giving out. If that was the case, then telling her would make it worse, their shared fear of death serving only to bring it about all the faster.

For his part, he was trying not to think about it. He clicked her tongue, focused on the sound to keep himself calm, to chase away any of his lingering tension. When she asked what was wrong, he shrugged it off as worry over being watched.

She believed him. It was a reasonable enough excuse, given that he _was_ still worried about that.

Once the water was down, she pulled out a leftover chicken strip and ate what little of it that she could. The rest went back into her pocket, and she lay down on her back, looking up toward the sky. It was just as beautiful as ever, twinkling stars, the occasional drifting cloud, and the bright, grey circle of the moon. Far, far up ahead, hovering over everyone and everything, and yet for the first several years of his life he'd not once laid eyes on it. The thought that this was a regular sight for countless others, to the point that it was mundane, was nothing short of daunting.

He felt himself relax. Felt her take over the clicking, felt her brushing a hand up and down her cheek. They were free, and they were going to stay that way.

For the rest of the night, and the entity of the following day, the two of them kept to the park. They slept in the bushes, mindful of the thorns, and they came out only when the place was empty. The food lasted them a good while, and water wasn't an issue with the fountain right there.

The day after, once they'd finished off their meal, that was when they had to go out for more. There was no choice, if she was going to get better, they needed to eat. So, around the time the sun was creeping up to hover directly above them, they made their way back to the only reliable food souse they had. The building wasn't quite so crowded as it was last time, though he still found himself looking over her shoulder at them. In this case, the numbers didn't matter. They could still overpower them in this state. 

The other Seth wasn't at the counter today. Instead, it was a guy named Daniel. He was considerably less aggressive than the one they'd been dealing with, and for that, Seth was grateful. He gave Anna a chance to try and talk to Daniel herself, but... the most she got out was a tiny whimper before her throat seemed to close in on itself. With a cough, he spoke instead, ordering the same thing they'd gotten the last time. Chicken strips and french fries. 

He didn't stop to sit and eat, he just rolled up their food and stuffed it in her pockets.

 _Seth?_ she said, and he winced, knowing what it was she was going to say. The pressure building up in her lower belly was making them both squirm.

_I know, love. We'll be back in the park soon._

_I don't think we can hold it that long. There's a bathroom right over there._

_It's not safe._

_ I don't think any of them care. _

_Anna..._

_ Please? I don't want us to wet ourselves. You still have your rock. _

_It wouldn't be enough._

_Please, Seth._

As if to back up her plea, her bladder throbbed near painfully, and he knew that they wouldn't make it if they tried to walk all the way to the park. She whimpered in the back of her throat, and though he felt her muscles flex as if to start walking in that direction, she didn't move. Didn't try to force him.

_ They're just eating. Like we do.  _

_I don't trust them..._

_They aren't with him._

_How do you know?_

_ Wouldn't they have gone after us by now? _

_I don't know._

She had a point. She had a point, but still he hesitated. With a long, slow breath, he started for the bathroom door, giving the sitting customers sideways glances as he went. The moment they were through the door, she took over, pouncing for the toilet to relieve herself. He locked the the door once they were in the stall. It was over in under a minute, but it felt like an eternity. Every tiny creek of the room around them had him on edge. Her heart started to beat harder in her chest, and she clicked her tongue at him gently. It wasn't enough. Maybe she was right, maybe they would't be attacked, but that didn't stop the creeping fear from coiling up at his center. He tried to calm himself, wary of falling into another fit of panic that may or may not stop her heart.

Once they were done, he slipped right out of the stall, ready to make a break for the door when, out of the corner of her eye, he caught movement. The wall hit her back, her hand deep in her pocket to grasp at his weapon, only to find the woman opposite him had jerked back, herself. He couldn't quite understand what he was seeing. A window, it seemed, leading into another room, a pane of glass hovering above the white bowl that jutted out of the wall. The other room looked like the one they stood in, but somehow off, different in such a way that wasn't instantly recognizable. There was no door next to the one leading into this room, either, the other room shouldn't even exist.

She drew in a breath, and stepped forward. He tightened her hand around the rock. Her pulse beat hard in her head, but he wasn't thinking about relaxing right at the moment.

_It's a mirror..._

_A mirror?_

"A mirror," she says, her quiet, wispy breath of a voice barely heard by her own ears. Another step, and another, and the figure on the other side mimics her every movement. She rested a hand on the cold edge of the bowl, staring hard, a tremor running down her back. "...oh..."

The realization of what it was he was looking at hit him in a flash. He widens her eyes, takes a step back, raising that same hand that she'd laid down to touch her mouth. It was a reflection. It was a pane of glass, not a window, and it reflected her image back to them.

He was _looking at her._

She was thin. So thin. Dark skin stretched over the bone without a trace of body fat to be found, colored an unhealthy hue brought on by lack of proper nourishment and of sunlight. Her eyes, wide with awe, were a soft, soft honey brown, her hair a much darker shade. The locks atop her head were a mess, cut short with a pair of scissors and an uncaring hand. Her hair was uneven, scruffy, never allowed to grow out for fear she find a way to use it as a weapon. She was just a tiny thing, short with hardly any muscle to speak of. Her shirt was grey, frailed, covered small holes and tears, the old fabric thinned with age. Her jeans weren't much better, and neither were her shoes.

Seth stared at this image. He stepped close again, reaching out to touch the glass, tender movements brushing along the outline of her cheek. It was cold under her fingertips. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and she immeadiately inhaled in response. 

_Look at me..._

He was. He was looking at her, and he was filled with a quiet awe. This was her. This was really her.

"You're beautiful..." he said, and he could taste humility in his words.

 _Did I look like this before?_ she asked, and he knew she didn't expect an answer. She's upset by her appearance, a quiet horror chilling her spine. 

He leaned forward, gaze lingering on her eyes, bringing her hand back to touch the warmth of her cheek, watching her reflection do the same.

"You're beautiful." The phrase comes out stronger. A lightness surged forth through her chest, and he laughed, her other hand coming up so he could press both against the glass, as if he could reach through the barrier and find her. She blinked, her distress shifting to confusion, but he didn't know how to explain it. "It's you. _Look,_ Anna. Look. It's you!"

Her forehead rested on the cool surface, and still, he moved closer, enraptured by what he saw.

_This is what you look like. It's beautiful, because it's you, love._

_I look sick. I look old!_

_But it's you._

He smiled, leaned back, looked her up and down, her arms moving to wrap around her chest. He was almost giddy, rocking her a bit, her cheeks starting to ache from the grin. 

_Look at you. This is you. This is you, and you're beautiful, sweetheart. You don't look well, and we're going to fix that! We're going to fix that, and you're going to be okay. But, love...you are so beautiful._

Her knees hit the tile floor, and he curled in on her, wrapped around her thoughts while he coiled her limbs as tightly around herself as he was able. The laughter kept coming, a pure joy that seemed to overshadow anything else. This was the first time he'd ever seen her. He adored her, and this was the first time he got to see what she looked like.

_We're out. We're free. We're okay._

He wanted to look at the mirror. He wanted to say it to her face, but her legs wouldn't cooperate with him.

_I love you, Anna. I love you so much._

A twitch of her lips that wasn't his doing, and she chuckled along with him. Maybe she didn't quite understand, but she knew that he was happy, and she was glad all the same.

 


	11. Chapter 11

The cold water chilled her already trembling hand as he reached below its surface, fingernails scratching along the bottom of the pool to gather up coins. Anna rested comfortably under him, asleep and unaware of either the water or the frosty breeze that made her teeth clatter together. As the days went on, the temperature around them dropped ever further. Daytime was tolerable, the sun warm enough, though the wind brought discomfort when it blew past. At night, though, it was too cold to sleep, and so he found himself active until dawn.

It was difficult, though, to have her under for such a long period. In order for her body to get the rest it needed, they both had to sleep at the same time on a regular basis, which meant that she slept both during the day, and also at night, to save her from the poor weather. Ignoring the fact that he took issue with her not being conscious to experience freedom, it was hard in a physical sense. The more rest she got, the more energy she had to burn, which meant that he had to put in more effort than usual to get her down. 

They'd been getting their food from the same fast food place, and as the days went by, he'd found himself able to put more in her system than before. He could eat an entire piece of chicken with little issue, which he took as a positive sign that her health was improving, however slowly. Moreover, it was easier to go into the place at night, when there were less people around. 

Eating more meant spending more, which was why he'd turned to the coins in the fountain. People threw their change into the water, for whatever reason, and no one was watching to make sure the money wasn't stolen. 

A lot of what he gathered was nothing more than pennies, with a few nickles and dimes scattered about. Quarters were rare, though appreciated, not just by him, but by the cashier who had to deal with counting all the change out when he paid for their meal with over a hundred pennies. The fountain, however...was a finite source of income. As the number of people visiting started to decline, there was less and less money to be found. 

The solution should have been to ask for help. He knew this. The man with the dog, despite the harm he'd caused, had given them money, and that money had lasted them a while. Seth...couldn't. He could hardly bring himself to interact with the cashier without pain stabbing through her chest or his breath becoming strained. Whatever it was, whatever problem that sent him crawling into the bushes in a panic, it was getting worse.

He was constantly aware of the brick in her pocket. Aware of every eye on her, every glance in her direction.

Aware of each inch of space between her body and all other lifeforms around them.

The isolation didn't help, either. 

They spent a few minutes together here and there, but it wasn't enough. Not when he'd spent most of his entire existence with her. He knew that the weather would have to _warm up_ eventually, but he didn't know how long, just that it was going to be a long and lonely process.

He put the coins in her pocket, enough for another meal, and contemplated what was left with a frown. They... weren't going to get much more food out of this fountain, he didn't think. Maybe there was another fountain? Or if not, another area where people left their money behind?

Shivering, arms around her chest, he left the park and began his search.

No one came out at night, everyone slept come sundown. He felt safer wandering about after dark. The night sky was beautiful, especially when the moon was out, with a few clouds just thin enough that it could shine through them when they passed. 

The city was made up of buildings. A lot of them, stretching on from road to road. He made a note of where he was going so he wouldn't get lost, but made it a point to take the routes that they hadn't yet taken. Exploring.

He was out the entire night, and nothing happened. He was right back in the bushes of their park by dawn. Seth didn't tell her about their dwindling supply nor about the growing stress he felt towards others. No, he talked to her for a while, told her everything was fine, before he put her under and went to sleep himself.

The next night, he spent most of the change he'd collected, and then ate while gathering what was left in the fountain.

When he was done, he left the park again, traveling in the opposite direction of the night before. As he explored, he realized just how big the place was. They'd only seen a small part of it, a tiny drop in the bucket. There were ever more buildings, ever more people. 

He paused to read a road sign, though that didn't get him much more information than he already had. The name of the road, and the number of miles until the name of the road changed into something else. Not much to go off of when he didn't know the area that well.

Before it got too late, he turned to head back the way he'd come, wanting to get to the safety of the park by daybreak. The sharp blade of a knife pressed into Anna's throat, held by a figure that towered over him.

"Empty your po-" A command barked out, but was never finished. 

The man stumbled back with a yelp of pain, hand pressed to the wound in his temple, left behind by the force of the brick. Seth felt a wet heat against her skin. The knife clattered to the ground.

Before his attacker could think to pick it up, Seth had it, and it was over. One quick, deep slice over the throat, and then retreat. Blood splattered over Anna's front, and more still poured out onto the ground, heedless of panicking hands that scrabbled over the tear. It took less than a minute for all movement to stop.

Seth held the knife close to her chest, eyes on the body, mouth parted slightly to breathe. 

It was just a random person. Not a guard. Not Asher. Not someone who would take them back to the lab...but the man had been a threat. Seth glanced around, to assure himself that they were alone. He hadn't noticed anyone behind him. Hadn't heard anything. Hadn't been paying attention. It was stupid of him, he shouldn't have-

What did the man want, if not for Asher? Empty your what? Empty your...pockets?

Oh...

His focus shifted toward the man's pockets. After nudging the body with the side of a foot, he knelt down, and searched. There were a few crumpled singles, and an empty wallet. Theft, then. The man was trying to steal from them.

He put the singles in their pocket, and studied the body a moment longer. He was wearing a jacket, and they could very much use one. It was also covered in blood, which would be bad if others saw. Also, if he had anyone working with him, they'd see it and mark them as an enemy.

The singles would be enough. 

The singles, and the knife.

Careful not to step in the puddle, he went back to the park, moving at a brisk walk instead of the leisurely pace he had before. He was more aware of his surroundings, made sure to check behind himself regularly. 

The moment he got back, he washed the knife in the water, then splashed the bloody marks on her shirt until he'd gotten as much out as he could. He rubbed dirt over the cloth until he couldn't tell the difference between the blood and the filth. The cold didn't matter, and Anna didn't need to know. She didn't need to know that people could just attack them out of nowhere. She didn't need to deal with this.

There was no pain in her chest. Her hands shook only with cold. 

Seth wasn't sure how he felt.

Chilled from the wind, he lay down in the bushes, the knife tucked away near the wall, where the guests wouldn't be able to find it by accident.

He waited for her to wake up so they could both go back to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The exchange went smoothly, money for food, and for the first time, Seth felt as nonchalant about it as the cashier did. With a smile and a quick 'thank you,' he headed off to sit at a table, instead of leaving the restaurant altogether. He ate in peace, though still aware of the world around him. Still keeping an eye on things, ready to defend himself if needed, but there was a clear lack of the tension he'd been feeling. 

It was strange, this new sense of calm, made all the more so by the apparent cause. He thought of the events of the day before, the man who'd attempted to steal from them. It was the only thing he could think of, the only change, considering Anna was still asleep under him. He decided it must be related to confidence. He'd proved to himself that he could protect them, so now he could relax.

Which meant he could get to working on improving their situation.

He spent much of the night in the restaurant, where it was warm. Come morning, he broke the routine of sleeping through daylight, and he put a little more pressure over Anna to keep her from waking up just yet. It wasn't ideal, but her body could survive the lack of rest in the short term. As soon as the sun was up over the horizon, he started approaching people.

"Excuse me, could you spare some change?"

He wasn't reckless. He kept both hands in her pockets to present himself as casual, so he always had that brick of his within reach. Having the knife would have been more ideal, but he had nothing to hide it in. The blade would have torn her already ragged clothes apart. 

Not everyone offered money when asked, but enough did. A few quarters here, a couple singles there. He went back and fourth between the park and the outside of the fast food place. People were more likely to give him money when he said it was for a meal, but less likely to do so if they'd already seen him receive it from others. After several rounds, he'd managed to collect just over eight dollars.

Money in hand, he went to the place he hadn't been to yet. The store.

He took some time to watch the people come and go, the doors opening and closing as they approached, always at a certain distance. When he started forward, they did the same for him, and he scurried through. They operated properly for others, but he didn't want to risk the things closing on him. 

Inside, the store was _massive._

There was food. So much food in so many different varieties. There were clothes, currently out of his price range, but he could save up, probably, within a few days. There were screens with pictures moving on them, little machines that he had no idea what they were, but they were there. There was so much. 

Given that everything seemed to be cluttered in it's own area, he assumed that everything that was close to other foods had to also be food, though there were a lot of things he didn't recognize. There was a room temperature section, filled with canned and boxed goods, a cool section filled with fruits and things, and there was a section where everything was behind a glass door. Frozen stuff.

He did a through inventory on everything, on things they needed, and on their prices.

Seth settled on a colorful box, a box that was marked as cereal, but that wasn't the only thing he grabbed. He had enough for two things, two cheap things, and once he selected his second item, he brought them both up to the front where he'd seen people paying for their supplies.

There were a few coins in change left, and he was given a piece of paper that, upon glancing over, appeared to be proof of his ownership over his purchases. Both the receipt and the money went into her pocket, but he didn't leave the store yet. He stopped by the door, leaned her back against the wall, put the cereal down on the floor. 

A smile tugging the corners of her lips, he nudged her.

_Anna. Anna, wake up. I have a surprise for you, love._

_...Seth?_

_Anna!_

He giggled, eyes closing, curling up slightly, an arm wrapped around her with her fingers lightly digging into her shoulder. 

_I missed you! I got a surprise. Look where we are. Look!_

Seth looked around for her, letting her see the line of registers, the people, the things that where on sale, the sheer size of the building around them. 

_Where is this...?_

_We're in the store. I brought us into the store. I started asking for help, and some people, they gave me money, and then I came in here. I couldn't go before, but I'm here, we're in the store, Anna!_

_Oh...that's great! I'm proud of you! ,,,I forgot what the store looked like..._

_It's big isn't it? I did something else! I got us food. I got you..._

At this, he turned her eyes downward, to what he held in her hands. The chill seeped warmth from her skin, but he'd been trying not to bring attention to it until then. It was a cone shaped box made out of thick, colorful paper. 

_See? It's ice cream, love. It says chocolate on the side. I remember, you said you liked chocolate, right?_

_Ice cream!_

She turned it over, searching for a way to get it open. When he saw the little flap, he moved her fingers over to it, tugging it apart before letting her do the rest. He'd never seen an ice cream cone before. It was made of this brown shell that kind of looked like bark from the trees outside, and filled with what he assumed to be the ice cream part. It was topped with little brown things.

_Thank you, Seth!_

_Of course._

They were both smiling, smiling so hard that it was hard to actually get anything into her mouth. She laughed, quiet but tangible, through the sugary substance. When it finally managed to hit her tongue, he found it far, far too sweet, but she let out a little squeak of delight.

She took her time, eating slowly, and when every bite was down, they sat up against the wall of the store, and just enjoyed each other's company for a while.


	13. Chapter 13

_What are you looking for, love?_

_Give me a minute, you'll see._

Anna fiddled with the soft fluff inside the sleeve of the new jacket as her eyes scanned through the isle. After a couple weeks of saving up, they'd managed enough to get her something warm enough that they could sleep together throughout the night. Not enough yet for a complete change of clothes, but it was a huge step in the right direction all on its own. In her pockets, they had some money left still, just enough left for a nice meal.

Since they'd gotten ice cream last time, Anna was insisting they get something for him. When he'd tried to tell her there wasn't anything in particular that he wanted, she'd taken over, moving them toward the back, where all the dairy products where kept.

The tip of her tongue rolled softly over her lower lip. For the first time in a while, her mouth was uninjured, no open wounds torn into by restless teeth. Even better, her arm didn't hurt like it had. It'd finally managed to heal, though they still had to be careful with it.

_ Here it is! _

Bending down, toward her quarry, she pulled up a package, a series of thin white squares encased in plastic. The paper stuck to the front said, 'Sliced Swiss Cheese.'

"Cheese?" he questioned aloud, interest lacing his tone. He flipped the package over, glanced at the price tag. A tad expensive, considering their limited resources. Sensing his hesitation, she flipped it back over, brought it close to her face, making him look at the product itself.

_It's like the crackers. You should try it._

_Are you sure? We could still get something you like._

_Seth, you deserve nice things too. Come on. Let me do something for you._

Before he could argue the point, she turned around, starting to make her way back to the front of the store. He chuckled quietly, and interjected, stopping her in her tracks, changing course into another isle.

_Okay, okay, but darling, we need food other than cheese. That cereal lasted a good while, we should get a couple boxes. They have chocolate flavored..._

_What kind do you like?_

_I have cheese._

_Seth._

_We can both get things we like. I can have cheese, and you can have chocolate. It wouldn't be fair for me to get the things I like and ignore the things you do._

_I'm holding you to that._

_Oh?_

_If we get stuff for me, then we get stuff for you, too. It's only fair._

_Okay, love. It's a deal._

It was her body, and her wishes took priority. He was just a passenger, stuffed into her skull through the fault of another, and while he didn't blame himself for the space he took up within her, it didn't get past him that he was a guest she'd never asked for. He'd prefer they focused on her wants and needs, but...

Well, this was what she wanted, and besides, he'd always wondered what real cheese tasted like. As long as she didn't miss out on anything, then there was no reason not to accept the gifts offered him.

There were multiple kinds of chocolate cereal, and he encouraged her to pick out the one she liked best. Then, for variety's sake, he grabbed a box of honey flavored, and she grabbed one that was fruit flavored.

What was left of their money almost completely spent, they made their way to the checkout line. After putting their purchases up on the belt, he fished out the currency, and paid.

An uneasy chill spiked through her chest as the cashier went through the motions of counting all those singles.

_Are you okay?_

_Yeah, love. I'm fine._

It was the people in line. The people behind, in the tiny space, and the people lingering in front, not having moved away with their bags like they should. A confined area, with only a tiny opening to flee through. Hand in their jeans pocket, he clutched at the brick, teeth clenching.

An attack from this angle would be easy. Not much room to move around in, too many people.

Anna clicked her tongue. Soft little noises. She raised a hand up and rest it at the side of her neck, her thumb lightly brushing over the curve just under her jaw. Her skin tingled where she touched.

It was little distraction, but he recognized her efforts for what they were. Took a slow breath, and tried to will himself to relax.

No pain in her chest like before, not yet, but it wasn't something he wanted to risk. Of course, the fear of that happening only sped her heart rate further, the muscles in her shoulders stiffening, her body bracing itself for attack.

The cashier offered them a receipt, which he accepted. As soon as it was over, he gave her a stiff thank you, and headed off. He needed distance between them and this crowd. 

As he walked, he reached into the bag and fished out the cheese. Set to opening it, though it took a minute for him to realize all he had to do was peel the front off.

_Are you sure you're okay?_

_I'm fine. Just needed some air. The space helps._

_Is there anything I can do?_

_You're already doing more than enough, just by being here._

There wasn't much else she could do, couldn't force him to calm down. The most she could do is talk to him while he relocated them back to the park, where they could hide in the bushes once more. Hide and hope it went away like it did the first time.

He glanced warily at the people around them, then made himself focus on the food held in her hands.

_So, this is real cheese, then?_

_ Yes. Swiss cheese. Its got holes in it. Because...I think it's because mice eat it? They eat it and then there are holes? _

_What's a mice?_

_It's...mice. They live in cheese?_

He looked at the slice in his hands. Stared at it with a frown. She giggled, pulling the corners of that frown upward.

_They're not still in the cheese. That'd be weird._

_Yeah._

Alright, here it goes. He took a bite, and chewed slowly, hoping not to...crunch into something. Were mice crunchy? Or were they like the wriggly bugs that were on the ground in the morning sometimes?

Then the taste came in, coated her tongue, and he stopped, stood in the middle of the side walk. It was salty, with an edge of sweetness, but not too sweet. Not overpowering. The texture was almost meaty, chewy but also smooth once broken down, very different from the crackers he was used to.

This...was so much better than crackers.

Oh, all things good and right in the world, it was better than crackers.

He licked her lips, and put the rest of the slice in, let out an appreciative moan as he ate. 

_The next time we're getting things for me, love? This is what I want._

_Good! There's other kinds of cheese, too. We can try all of them._

She started walking again for him, moving before he could return to thought about their surroundings. Tapped her fingertips against the plastic between bites.

_I can't wait. I never imagined..._

Anna drew her eyes upward, and together, they looked upon the sky.

_It's amazing, isn't it?_

_Absolutely._

_I'm glad I can finally share this with you._

_I'm glad you're free to enjoy it again._

The last piece of cheese was savored thoroughly, and the wrapper kept to play with while they laid down out of sight to rest.


	14. Chapter 14

Seth held the brick in her hands as they walked. It wasn't in her pocket anymore, he cradled it openly, though few around them seemed to notice or care. Anna trailed her fingertips over the rough surface, the texture uncomfortable, but the weight itself was nice. Now and then, he eyed the people that they passed, clenching the brick harder, the image of what he could do with it as their backs were turned always present just under the surface. He didn't attack, didn't even make a move to approach, but the thought was there. Her stomach twisted with unease. He was anxious, and she was following suit.  

 _They're not looking at us,_ she put in. _I don't think they are. Are they?_

_No, they aren't. Not that I can see._

It had been a bad day. They hadn't had the chance to get more than a dollar before he'd withdrawn, gone back into hiding for the majority of the afternoon. It wasn't quite night time yet, but it was close, enough that those wandering about had decreased to a few much more manageable groups. 

He couldn't take care of them like this.

If he couldn't ask for money, then there was no affording the things they needed. Moreover, now that they were free, they shouldn't be cowering off in some secluded corner every day. Especially when it came to Anna. She'd spent enough time trapped with Asher, she should be able to enjoy being out, and he was making that difficult. This...whatever this was, was keeping him from his duty.  

The images kept flashing in his mind. A guard pushed down the stairs, a would-be murderer killed by his own weapon. The brick in Anna's hands, hard and solid against tapping fingers. 

It'd gotten better when he'd killed the man. The more he thought about it, the more sure he was. He'd had this urge for days, then he'd killed, and it stopped. Not only did it stop, but he didn't feel as scared afterwards. This was the only explanation that made sense. His thoughts kept returning to the lives he'd taken before, and the more he ignored it, the worse it was getting.

_Seth?_

_I'm okay, love. I'm just thinking._

He'd have to do it again. 

Anna was his first and only priority. She needed to be well cared for, and she needed to be safe. Anything, and anyone else, was secondary. 

The question was, then, whether or not he should tell her. She had a right to know, yes, of course she did, but would it be best for her? After everything that'd been done to her, did she really need to know what he had to do? At the same time, he was loath to keep a secret from her. 

Teeth dug into her lower lip, and he made her release it as gently as possible. Right, no, she was already stressed, she didn't need to deal with this on top of everything else. He looked up toward the sky.

_It's a nice night. I like the clouds. What do you think that one looks like, Anna? I think it looks like a dog._

_...I think so too! There's the tail there._

_Actually I was thinking that was the head. But I see what you mean. That's the eye then?_

_Yeah...hey, what's that light?_

He glanced in that direction, a flashing in their peripheral. Bright blue, Harvey's Beer and Bar. Buildings usually didn't light up at night, not unless there were people living in them. This wasn't a house, though, it was too big, and without windows. A couple people went in as they watched, meaning it must have been some place of business. Cars sat parked in front, a sizable number. 

_I...don't think I know what this is._

_Another store?_

That would be nice. Somewhere else that they could get food. Always a good thing. Especially if it was another fast food place like what they'd been going to, give them more variety. He wondered what they might have.

But they couldn't go in. He turned the brick around in her hands and took a step back. 

_We can always check it out tomorrow. I'm getting tired, love. We'll get some rest and think about it in the morning. Okay?_

_Sure...are you sure you're okay? Is there anything I can do to help?_

He pressed his thoughts lightly against her own, brought a hand up to brush over her cheek. _You're already helping. I'm fine. Things will be better after we rest, I think._  

Back to the park, then. They could lay down for a while. The decision was made. 

He waited until she started to doze off naturally before pushing her down. Once she was asleep, he took the jacket off, grabbed the knife, and went back out. The brick was once more a weight in her pocket, a back up in case it went wrong. He didn't want to try his luck against any of the groups. They were doing better, but they weren't doing well yet, and he wasn't going to risk being overpowered.

Seth looked for someone that was out on their own.

And he found one. It took about twenty minutes. A woman, on her phone, voice sharp and argumentative. Not paying attention to her surroundings. He cut through her throat from behind, a quick and easy motion, then moved away to let her bleed out. He hung up the phone, wiped the blade on her clothes, and went through her belongings. Didn't care about the comb or the notepad, he was after the money. Fifteen dollars and some change. Might as well take it while he was doing this. 

A sensation of calm confirmed his suspicion. Calm and relief.

He went back, cleaned the knife proper, and hid it in the bushes. Covered the few traces of blood that'd gotten on her shirt with dirt and pulled the jack back on over it. Then he sat, by the fountain, listening to the water run and looking up at the sky. More clouds, the light reflected off them from the moon, giving them various shades of grey. He hugged the jacket to her chest.

It felt good, it felt normal. But it would hurt Anna to know. 

He didn't like that. 

It was worth it to keep her safe. This would keep happening. It was his burden, not hers. She'd never find out.

They were going to be safe. A shaky breath left him as he watched the clouds move across the moon. Despite what he'd told her, he didn't go to sleep that night. 


	15. Chapter 15

_Anna. Anna! It's morning! Time to get up._

Bright and early, as soon as the sun was in the sky and people started to wander about with their dogs, he nudged her awake. Her eyes burned a bit, and there was a soft throbbing at the back of her head, but he took care not to bring attention to that. He stretched her arms, arched her back, and pulled them up off of the ground. Splashed some water in her face. 

She whined quietly, cringing a bit. It helped, though, helped her focus. 

_Seth...? How to you feel?_

_Better! I'm thinking we should get back to getting ourselves some money. I think if we're lucky, we might be able to get our hands on enough to afford a warmer pair of pants. This lady came by and gave us some money early morning. She was nice. Then maybe we can check out that place we saw last night._

_Oh...okay. I'd like that._ She rubbed her eyes as he stood up, yawning, rolled her head from one side to the other. _Maybe they'll have ice cream?_

_Maybe!_

_ And  _ _ cheese? _

_Maybe. But I hope they have ice cream more._

_I hope they'll have cheese more!_

He laughed softly, under his breath. And out loud, just enough for her to hear, "Ah...I love you, sweetheart."

_I love you too, Seth._

They started their rounds, going from park, to the fast food place, and back to the park at regular intervals. Asking for any spare change that might be available, and receiving it at random. Most said no, but some said yes. Quarters, dimes, sometimes a dollar, very rarely a five. At noon they took a break and got an order of chicken fingers with some water. Finally, they were able to get an entire meal down in one sitting. Anna swung one of her legs back and fourth under the table as he chewed. 

_ What do you think chickens look like?  _

_...I hadn't thought about it much, actually. They must be pretty big if these are their fingers. And boneless._

_ Like a giant bug? _

_I don't think they're bugs. If they were bugs we'd see them around the park._  

_ Yeah. Be a bit hard to miss that... _

She tightened her grip around the chicken finger a bit, brushed a finger over the surface. A small shiver went down her back, and she looked out the window.

_Love?_

_I'm okay._

When he paused in his eating, she resumed, putting what was left in her hand in her mouth and chewing. Wiped the salt on a napkin and drank some water. 

 _We shouldn't have any memory problems now that we're out, right? Because Asher can't mess with us anymore._  

_I haven't noticed any changes since we left. Have you?_

_Not that I can think of._

_Where did that come from, then?_

_ I don't know. Just checking. Do you think we'll see a chicken one day? Before it's cooked?  _

_Might not be the best idea. Better to avoid anything bigger than the dogs we see in the park. But if we can do it safely, I wouldn't mind._

Anna set to eating the fries, dipping them in a generous coating of ketchup as she did so. She fell silent, and he let the subject drop. Seth couldn't blame her for moments of nervousness. Besides, he had them all the time. He brought her free hand up to rest on the side of her neck, his thumb brushing over her jaw. Her eyes closed, and she leaned into it, a breath sighed out from her lungs. 

They finished up their meal in peace, and went right back out to gather more money. 

When all was said and done, they had a good twenty six dollars, including the money from the night before. He put twenty away, leaving them six for food. Sun close to setting, and not nearly as many people out, they started for Harvey's Beer and Bar.

There were groups of people inside. Mostly they sat at tables, chattering at one another. It was very dark, no windows, and a few dim lights. Seth kept a confident air as he walked toward the counter, shoulders relaxed, letting Anna's eyes wander to see what she focused on. Behind the counter, there were several bottles, a machine with a nozzle on it, and a...plastic thing with frozen red stuff rolling about on one side and white stuff on the other side. Strawberry pina colada respectively, according to the sticker.

The man behind the counter went about his job, cleaning glasses, giving them a chance to both notice and pick up the menu sitting in front of them. There were several menus, placed every few feet from each other. They sat down on one of the chairs positioned there to read.

Not much food, not like in the fast food place, but there were things they hadn't tried yet. Nachos, hot dogs(dogs???), and mozzarella sticks.

The rest of it was all drinks. And...none of them were drinks they recognized. He looked at the other people in the bar, and saw that they each had drinks of various sizes and colors. 

Back to the menu. Some of them were completely unknown to either of them, like whisky and vodka. Some of them were partially familiar, like the green apple martini and the strawberry daiquiri. He glanced at the swirling frosty red liquid in the plastic container.  

 _...bloody Marys don't sound like something that should edible._ Anna commented.

_No, they don't. And I really don't want to try the dog._

_ Nachos?  They're four dollars.  _

_Yes. And we can get one of the cheaper drinks, too._

The man came up to them after a few more minutes, and he ordered them nachos and a strawberry daiquiri. The drink in question had nothing to do with the plastic thing, apparently, as the man set to putting ice and some pink liquid in a thing and-

And the noise made him jump out of his skin. A screeching growling wail that had him standing, hand wrapped around the brick, ready to bash someone's head in. Heart pounding hard, a twinge of pain in her chest as they tensed up. 

It was grinding the ice. Making it into a liquid. No one was attacking. Her breath was too fast, her free hand reaching up to rub restlessly at her shoulder. The noise stopped.

"...are you okay, miss?"

The man finally noticed that his customer wasn't at the counter anymore. Anna kept her eyes down, half frozen, fingers clenching. It took a moment for Seth to nod, to bring her eyes up, to offer a shaky smile.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry."

He pulled her back into the chair, while the nachos were prepared. It didn't take as much time as the drink. They were chips apparently, with...that was cheese. Well then. Anna won this round. Now he just had to hope the strawberry thing was sweet. 

They were given their food, and he paid for it. Once that was done, they were free to go to one of the tables.

The nachos were good. Warm, and salty, and perfect. He let Anna take over for the drink, stepping in only to help steady her hand. Cold, and yes! Sweet, though he wouldn't call this flavor strawberry. Strawberries didn't taste like this. 

A small noise at the back of her throat, and some of the tension left her. He relaxed in response, the sides of her mouth twitching against the glass. She liked it. Good.

While they ate, he glanced around, watching the other people. They didn't take any of the trash with them, leaving it there on the tables as they went.

_So, do you like it here, Anna?_

_Yes. I do. I can't believe I forgot places like this. Can we come again?_

_Of course. There's more things we haven't tried yet._

She finished the drink, and they left the bar, heading back to the park for a proper night of sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Today was the day. 

And not a moment too soon at that. The nights were getting cold enough that even with the jacket they were having problems. Anna led the way into the store, finding the clothes isle easily and picking through it. He kept to the back, letting her be, so she could pick out what she wanted. 

The first thing she did was narrow down her choices, making sure that what she was looking at was within their price range. Pants first. She ran her fingers over each leg, checking out the fabric. When she was happy with one, she set it aside, and moved on. After examining each of the garments available, she had three sets of pants in arm, and from these three, she chose one. A pair of grey sweatpants.

The other two went back on their designated stand, and next came a new top. 

It was the same process. She kept to the sweaters, and picked out one that was both warm and soft. It would replace her shirt, and would be much better at keeping out the chill. Dark blue, with a turtle neck. There was a cheap pair of socks she spotted, but they were reaching their limits, and they couldn't get them without spending some of the money sat aside for food.

Next time, maybe. 

They paid for their clothes at the counter, and then went to the store's bathroom to change. He let her do it, let her pull off the torn, ragged shirt and jeans, then put on the new outfit. She laughed, a soft, breathy laugh, sinking to the floor of the bathroom stall, the sleeves of the sweater pressed into her face. For several minutes, they sat there, her mouth stretched into a smile.

When they left, wearing not just the sweater but the jacket, too, the cold air didn't make it through. Even the wind didn't steal away any of warmth.

They took the old clothes with them, to be tucked away into a corner of the park in case they needed them later. Maybe they could roll them into a bundle and use it as a pillow. 

It was getting late, not too far from sundown. For their nightly meal, they headed back to the bar.

This time they were going to try the mozzarella sticks, and a new drink. After a few moments of looking through the menu, Anna picked a fuzzy navel. He stuck her tongue out at that. 

_I don't think something fuzzy is going to be fun to drink, love._

_But it has orange juice in it._

_And schnapps. What if schnapps is like dog tails or something? They already have it on the menu._

_Ew._ She paused to consider it for a moment. _But I wanna try it. It's a new thing._

_Alright...but if it's made out of dog I'd rather not get it again._

The guy behind the counter got their order, and they took it over to the table. It turned out a fuzzy navel wasn't actually fuzzy. Anna sipped it gingerly, and it was indeed orange juice! Mixed with...something. Something that almost burned, like soda, but in a different way. He cringed.

_Are you okay?_

_Yeah. I just wasn't expecting that._

_Me neither._  

After a moment, she tried again, another sip. It wasn't that it was _bad,_ no, it was just intense. A third sip, and then he reached for a mozzarella stick. Which turned out to be fried cheese. Fantastic for getting rid of the taste. 

Yeah, not a drink they'd get a second time, but it was worth trying once, he supposed. 

_ I think we should get shoes next. Since we're out walking most of the day. _

_Agreed. And after that, we'll work on blankets. A few of them, so we can put something under us when we sleep._

_What are we doing after?_

_Whatever we need to._

He'd not thought any further ahead than their current needs. Food, water, warmth, and then if it was possible, comfort. There was no end goal in mind, just survival in the present. Now that she asked, though, he mulled it over, absently listening to the music playing off in the background. 

_After we have everything we need, if nothing else pops up that's pressing, we should collect stuff for backup._

_Backup?_

_Extra food. The kind that lasts, like cereal and crackers. More clothes if possible. Hide away some money in case we need something else._

_Okay. We should do that. Seth?_

_Yes, love?_

_ Do you think mom and dad will find us? Do you think they're still looking for us, maybe? _

_...I don't know. I'd like to think they are._

He let out a slow breath, and put another cheese stick in her mouth. She took a sip of her drink.

Seth didn't think they'd find her parents again. Even if they did manage to run across one another, he couldn't imagine they'd recognize each other. Anna was with Asher for an unknown period of time, and he doubted she looked the same coming out as she did going in. Moreover, Anna didn't remember what they looked like. If they did see each other, they would probably just walk past one another without a second thought. Might have even happened already. 

_I think we'll be okay though, if they don't find us. If they do, it'll be amazing, and I can meet your parents, and you can introduce me to your dog, but if they don't then we'll still be okay. We'll take care of each other._

_...do you think...? _

_Yes?_

_Do you think my memory of them is trustworthy? After everything he did to us?_

Another sip of the drink, and she put it down, brought her hand up to brush against the sleeve of their coat.

_Trustworthy, darling? It isn't complete, sure, but I'm not sure what you mean by trustworthy._

_ Could Asher have made them up? Do you think my parents were real? _

_Oh..._

The question hung between them for a moment, before he moved her hand up to rest against the side of her face. Was this what was bothering her before?

_I think they were real. I can't imagine he'd throw a new set of memories in for no reason. He was trying to make me move, and before that he was trying to make me in the first place. The loss itself was a side effect. I don't think your memories are false._

_Are you sure?_

_I'm sure, love._

He leaned his thoughts against hers. Brushed fingertips against her skin. 

_I believe you._

They stayed like that for a while. When they moved, it was to finish the meal, and down what was left of the drink. Then it was time to head home.

The air outside was strangely warm, considering how cold it'd been when they went in. He took the jacket off and tied it around her waist, and when they lay down, he left it in the corner.

Seth waited until then to put her to sleep, and once she was out, he got back up. Five days, it'd been five days, and he had to kill again. Was this going to be a regular routine, or was it going to be random lengths of time? He tried to remember how many days between his first and the point where it started to get bad, but he hadn't been counting. It seemed longer than five days.

Either way, he'd deal with it when the time came.

He left. Found someone on their own. An unlucky man who had his throat slit that night. Seth got six dollars off him. 

Then back to the park, to clean off or otherwise cover up the blood. It was a shame to get dirt on the new clothes, but they'd still do the same job. He hid the knife, and lay down to sleep himself. 


	17. Chapter 17

As the days went by, they slowly worked their way down that drink menu at the bar, until they reached the point where they'd tried just about everything. Anna had her favorites, her focus on the stuff that didn't taste like dirt. Seth didn't care for any of them, not a fan of sweets to begin with, but he did like the cheesy food menu, so it was a good compromise for them. 

The novelty of the place did eventually wear off, and while a visit a night wasn't out of their price range, the fast food restaurant was cheaper. Plus, the night air was getting ever colder, to the point that their clothes weren't enough to keep them as warm as they would have liked. 

So they limited their visits to once a week, and buckled down on their efforts to save up so they could get something for that. There were cheap blankets in the store, but they were thin, too thin to be of any use. Shoes were forgotten, and their goal focused on a comforter(which was really just this big plush blanket that would be perfect for them).

Seth started to wonder if it was going to keep getting colder until they couldn't be outside anymore. While they might be able to stay inside any one of the buildings to keep warm, he didn't like the idea that they might have to sleep in some place that was too open, where anyone could sneak up on them. The park was safe, and he'd rather avoid staying in any public area for too long. Anna shared the sentiment, although she kept to the thought that the people around them weren't likely to attack. Optimistic, but impractical, and better to be safe than sorry. 

When she was asleep, he went out.

Not every night. Not even every week, although it was close. No pattern, and he made sure not to keep to any specific area. They'd start avoiding places if they thought it was dangerous. Seth made an effort to kill as few as possible, to keep any individual from suspicion, from caution. Who knew what these people would do if they caught them?

The temptation to go after more people was there, of course. When he killed someone, they usually had more money in their pocket than he and Anna could make in an entire day, but he wasn't unaware of the risk. They could kill them in retaliation. Or worse, send them back to Asher. Go back to the scientist and tell him what he could do.

On one of their weekly visits to the bar, Anna found a new drink on the menu. Pumpkin spice with vodka. 

They ordered that with some nachos, and settled down at a table. 

It was good, for a surgery drink. Warm in a way that they were unused to. He crunched a chip between her teeth and she sipped her drink, her legs absently swinging back and fourth under the table.

They chattered with each other, discussed plans, thought about what they should get once the blanket was out of the way. Anna suggested that they get some sticks or something, and some glue, and make a little shelter out of one of the thinner blankets, just to keep the wind off of them. It would have been a good idea, if not for the issue of their hiding place being discovered by the wrong person. They slept in the bushes to keep people from seeing them. Adding a standing shelter into the mix would only make them more visible.

Their discussion on this issue was cut off as someone approached. Seth automatically stiffened, lowering a hand into her pocket to clutch at the brick, just in case. Mouth pressed into a thin line, tracking the strangers movements as he came to hover by one of the chairs opposite their own.

"Hey there." the man said, a smile on his face. "I noticed you were hanging out over here alone. Mind if I join you? I'll buy you another drink."

Seth raised an eyebrow at that, glancing down to the contents of the glass, dark orange with little flecks of spice. They'd been living off of gifts given by others, this wasn't a strange offer, it was just the first time they'd been offered something consumable directly, rather than a few dollars. Particularly when they were in the middle of a meal.

"Yeah, sure. The pumpkin one?" he asked, offering a smile. Trying to meet this show of kindness with gratitude. The man nodded with a grin, and retreated back toward the bar.

_ He seems nice. _

_Yes._

Anna sipped her drink a little more freely, since there was another one coming. Seth leaned to the side a bit, watching as the bartender fixed the drink. There was no reason to suspect either party, but best to be safe than sorry. He needed to make sure there was no poison in what they were being given.

The man came back with two glasses, one for Anna, and one for himself. He slid one over their way, and cupped his own between his hands. 

"Thank you," Seth said. 

"No problem, miss. I've seen you around here, once or twice. Thought I'd say hi. Name's Tyler."

"Nice to meet you, Tyler." They finished off the drink they started with, pushed it over to the side. Ate a few nachos, and had a sip from the new glass. Tyler leaned on one arm, bright eyes trained on them. Seth kept an eye on him, watching him back, though he kept a friendly enough demeanor. "My name's Anna."

"Hah, nice to meet you, too, Anna. So what do you drink when you aren't going for the Halloween crap?"

...Halloween? "Daiquiris, mostly. Some of the stuff is too bitter."

"More into fruity drinks, eh? I like straight whiskey myself, but hey, some of the softer stuff's okay once in a while, like this." He took a heavy drink from his glass. "You never talk to anyone here. Mostly you eat and then leave."

Seth shrugged. "What else is there to do?"

"I suppose you're right."

Tyler reached across the table and casually snagged a nacho chip. He tried not to frown at that, considering they'd just gotten a free drink out of him. Anna felt his irritation, and grabbed a chip herself, picking out one that had extra cheese on it. She took her time chewing, fingertips drumming against her glass.

"Wish they'd play some new music, though." the man went on, "It's the same set of songs on loop every day. It's not bad, really, but it gets a bit tiring after a while."

"Mmm...what I'd like is if the weather changed. It's too cold outside. It was warm, but now I can't step outside without shivering."

"I hear that. Better than summer, though. Can't stand sweating all the time."

"I dunno, I kinda like the heat." Nothing could be worse than the chill at night. A little heat would have been more than welcome at that point.

"To each their own...wow, you drank that fast. Want another one?"

"Ah, sure. Yeah. Thank you."

Speaking of heat, it was getting a little warm in the bar. Looks like they were turning the air up because of the weather outside. Anna rubbed at her eyes, stretching the muscles in her back. Then he leaned to the side, again watching the process of the drink being made. Tyler came back with the pumpkin spice...along with something different. A tall glass with bright blue liquid inside. 

"Here, though you might wanna try this, while we're at it." 

Anna reached for it, brought it up to their mouth, and inhaled, breathing in the scent. Sweet, surgery. Given the strange things this bar liked to put in their drinks, best to take things slow and not risk getting a mouth full of _dog._

He sipped it. It was indeed sweet, enough to send a prickle down her tongue. "I don't remember trying this one. And I went through most of the menu."

"It's called an A.M.F. It's a specialty item, you gotta ask for it. It's got vodka, rum, gin, some soda, some sour sugar. I always thought it tasted like sour gummy worms."

"...I can see that, yeah." 

Neither of them had any idea what gummy worms were. 

This was nice though. Free drinks, and Anna really liked the blue stuff. When Tyler offered to buy them one more, Seth agreed. As he leaned over to watch, though, the world tilted. It as sudden, jarring, the simple shift enough to make him loose his balance. Anna grabbed onto the arm of the chair, a delayed spider webbing up their back as they very nearly fell out.

_...Seth?_

_I don't feel well. What's happening?_

He pushed against the arm of the chair, over compensating, not realizing he'd gone to far until the thing toppled over, and they hit the ground hard. Pain throbbed through her side, muted and far away, not nearly as sharp as it should be. Her stomach curled, acid bubbling, burning at the back of her throat as some of the sickly sweet fluid flooded back up into her mouth. She coughed hard, gagging, and it dribbled out onto the floor. Too much movement, she closed her eyes tight, arms curling about her mid-drift.

Dizzy. Disoriented. 

And then there was the pressure of a hand on her arm. "Woah, you don't look too good."

It was Tyler. Slipping an arm under her own, he braced himself against the ground and all but dragged them up to their feet. The movement didn't help, Anna reflexively grabbed onto him, a tremble in her legs as she fought to keep on her feet.

Tyler held them about the waist with a firm grip. Lowering his tone, head closer to their ear, like it was a secret, he said, "I'll take you back to my place. You can sleep it off."

Something clicked. Under the dizzying wave, Seth realized, Anna's eyes widening as he stiffened. Something was in the drinks. Something was wrong with them. There couldn't be anything wrong with them, he'd watched the entire time, they couldn't be drugged...had he missed it? Did Tyler manage to do something without them noticing?

Was the bartender in on it...?

Whatever the reason they felt like this, it was intentional. It was on _purpose._ He wanted them weaker, and maybe he was with Asher after all. Even if it wasn't Asher, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they did not want to go with him.

Seth dug her feet in, digging hard into the ground. "N-no."

"Come on. You don't have anything better to do, do you?"  
  
"I-I said-!"  
  
"Keep your voice down. People are staring."

The mans grip tightened, pulling, and given Anna's small stature, it wasn't hard to drag her several inches. Hell, it wouldn't have been hard to straight up lift her off the ground. Seth went for the brick, but couldn't navigate her hand into the pocket to get it out. A moment later, he reached for the table instead, blindly grabbing for something, anything.

He found one of several empty glasses. Lifted it high, and brought it down on the enemy's head.

Tyler yelped, cursing, his grip loosened enough that they could tear themselves out of it. Free from his hold, but not from the weight of gravity, they fell to the ground and scrambled for the only cover available to them. They hid under the table. Seth kept the glass held tight to her chest, ready to strike out with it again. He couldn't do any mortal damage like this, but he could make it _hurt._

The world twisted and swirled about them, another flood of fluids forced itself out her throat and onto the floor. Anna clung to the underside of the table, Tyler's voice echoing through the air. A loud whisper. "Get out from under there. I'm just trying to help."

"I'm not...not going anywhere."

"Get _out,_ will you?"

Seth tightened his grip, ready to bash the guy's face a second time with the glass, not about to be taken away without a fight.

" _Excuse me._ " Another voice interrupted, joining the fray. It was harsh, firm, and deep. An annoyed growl. "I don't think she wants to go with you."

"Stay out of this."

"I don't think so. I think you should leave, before I go looking for security." Tyler's upper body disappeared as he stood, leaving only a set of legs visible from where Seth and Anna sat. A second set stood their ground just beside the first one. When Tyler didn't move, the other voice pressed, "Are we going to have a bigger problem than what we already have?"

A moment...and then Tyler retreated. 

The figure knelt. Even kneeling, they had to duck their head to get it under the table. This new person was huge, taller than Tyler was. Their voice immeadiately softened from the one they'd used to address the enemy, still deep, but light enough to be soothing.

"Are you alright?"

They'd helped them. Got that guy to go away. Seth swallowed, murmured a 'no.' Anna tightened her grip on the table leg, shivering. He took a breath, and spoke as clearly as he could. "I...I don't know...what he did..."

Alarm edged their voice. "Did you leave him with your drink...?"

"...no. I...he didn't...I made sure he..."

A hand against Anna's face, a careful brush of fingertips over her forehead. Seth couldn't focus on their face, but could make out the sight of long hair against stiff shoulders. "I think you've just had too much...but are you absolutely sure he didn't have a chance to put any drugs in there? If he did, we need to get you to a hospital."

"I'm...sure..."

Too much to drink? That was a thing? You could get sick from too many fluids?

The figure looked away and out toward the rest of the bar. "You don't have to move now. I won't make you move. But we should get you out of here as soon as possible."

"Nnn..."  
  
"It doesn't have to be now. Do you want a glass of water?"  
  
"No...no."

"Okay. That's fine. You're going to be fine."

"I...I want to go home."

"Where do you live? I-I could drive you."

"Down the street...down...I'll...show you."

_Anna? Are you okay?_

Seth pressed against her. Felt her coil and shudder, both physically and mentally. 

_I don't like this. I don't..._

_I know. I'm sorry. I'm here, love._

"Okay. I'll take you home. You can lean on me if you want. You can stay there a while longer, too. Don't push yourself. Easy."

"N-now...please"

With effort, Seth pulled away from the table, toward their current ally. They helped them up, hands curled about their upper arms, grip just firm enough to keep them on their feet. Seth and Anna both clung onto their new friend for dear life as they made their way out of the bar.


	18. Chapter 18

The first thing he knew when he woke up was that he didn't want to be awake.

The second thing he knew was that Anna was very, very thirsty.

She groaned with discomfort as he opened her eyes, Seth murmuring an apology to her while he assessed their surroundings. They were on a couch, in a dimly lit room, the faint light outside suggesting sunrise. There was a table, some soft looking plush chairs, a large flat screen against one wall. Three ways out of the room, one to the side of the couch leading deeper into the house, one at the wall opposite which led to the kitchen, and one behind the chairs in the form of a sliding door made of glass. He remembered being led inside the night before, but little else.

Groaning, he pulled her up to her feet, a dull throbbing ache beating out its protest against the back of her skull as he did so. Ignoring it, he stepped around the table and stumbled toward the kitchen.

There was a faucet in there, and as soon as he got to it he turned it on. Gathering cold, cold water in her hands, he drank. He'd been intending to do it slowly, but the moment the liquid touched her tongue he found himself gulping it down in quick, greedy mouthfuls. 

He didn't know where their helpful friend was. While that wasn't ideal, he didn't quite care. They'd saved them, and right now that was enough to assure him that they weren't intending harm. If not for the fact they'd chased away that guy from the night before, Seth wouldn't have let them lead them there. Not that they were in the right state to argue the point, he thought with a bitter flare. 

As promised, they took them to a car and tried to drive them home, but then got distressed when 'home' was also a park. Seth tried to argue the point for all of ten seconds before they pointed out that sleeping out in a public place while too drunk to walk was dangerous.

Turning the flow of water off, Seth pressed at Anna's face with wet hands, palms against her eyes. Anna rubbed at them, hard enough that it made flashes of light go off behind the lids. Dazed, she sank down to the ground, the tile surface hard but pleasantly cool. With little resistance from him, she lay down on her side, thirst sated but now neither of them were inclined to put the effort into going back to the couch. 

_ Never doing that again. Never, never, never.  _

_Agreed._

Eyes closed again, he focused on her breathing, the steady in and out hiss of air through her lungs. He wasn't sure if he was trying to ground himself or if that was just where his mind naturally wandered, but regardless, that focus didn't last long and soon the world faded out again. Blissful unconsciousness that somehow seemed longer and shorter than what it should have been.

It wasn't thirst that awoke them the second time, it was the creek of weight settling on the floor next to them and a hand on their shoulder. 

"Hey...you alright? I can't imagine that's comfortable."

A familiar voice, their voice. It sounded deeper still in the morning, groggy and thick with sleep, but it was undoubtedly the voice from last night. Seth looked up, starting a bit at the lack of hair. Wasn't it much longer than that? Last night, it'd been down past their shoulders, toward the center of their back, but now it was cut to a few inches of length, short enough that it curled in messy rings at the top of their head.

"I'm fine. I just...I needed some water, and then..."

"Do you need help getting back to the couch?" They paused, then wrapped a hand around Anna's shoulder, giving it a light tug. "Come on, you're going to get a crick in your neck."

Seth stood and leaned against their side. This alone put their difference in height into a stark contrast. While Anna was small and thin, this person towered over them by over a foot. They weren't just taller either, but also much better built, strong. Not an uncommon thing, most people seemed stronger than her, but this was one of the most noticeable instances. 

Their friend left them with a promise to be return, then went back into the kitchen. After a few minutes and a good deal of noise, they returned with a plate of food and a glass of water, both of which they set on the table in front of them. Fruit and vegetables piled high on one side, with toast and a couple eggs. 

By the time they got their own plate and came to sit down on one of the chairs, Seth had already sat up and torn into a slice of toast, and Anna was picking up a strawberry to follow it up with.

They ate in silence for the most part, working their way through every scrap that was offered before downing half of the water. Their friend was only halfway done by the time they leaned against the arm of the couch to catch their breath.

"Thank you," Seth said, almost as an afterthought. 

They smiled in response, glancing up from the plate to meet Seth's gaze. He took a moment to look at them, really look rather than just note the difference in body type. They wore a purple sweater and sweatpants, thick and plush, though it didn't seem cold enough in the room to warrent it. Their skin was a shade of brown that was a bit lighter than Anna's own, faded blue eyes sliding away from them to turn to the remainder of their food. They ate at a steady, polite pace, suggesting a regular availability that Anna and Seth weren't used to.

"How do you feel?" they asked.

"Better. Still feel sick...but better."

"Keep drinking water, and if you get hungry again just let me know." They thread their fingers together and leaned forward on their knees. "You were really out of it last night. Was that your first time drinking?"

"Uh...yeah. I guess I didn't realize it was gonna...do that."

"Listen, what happened wasn't your fault. That guy was trying to take advantage of you. Was he someone you know?"

"No. He just kind of sat down with me and said he'd buy me a drink. He seemed nice until he started dragging me out of there."

"Ah, see? He got you to that point on purpose. You're not to blame for what he did to you. Do you understand?"

 "I do."

They seemed satisfied with that. "The other important thing to take away from this is that you need to know your limits, especially when you're drinking in public. I'd tell you to keep an eye on your glass but you said you were already doing that. Do you...excuse me, but do you really live in the park?"

The frown on their face indicated that they still weren't fond of that idea.

"Yeah. Is it really that upsetting?"

"Well I mean, it's almost winter."

"Winter?"

"Have you ever been here during the winter? It doesn't snow that often, but it does get below freezing."

_Snow?_

_ Snow...that's when ice falls from the sky and coats everything. _

_Oh, great, that sounds like fun._

"I...no, I haven't. I'm kind of new here, heh."

They seemed to mull that over. Leaning back, they ran a hand through their hair, the curls bouncing back after they were pressed down.

After a moment, they said, "I don't like the idea of you going back there when it's going to be so cold."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Where else should I go?"

"I have...a guest room. I only use it when my little brother is in town, but he's not coming for a while. And I can afford the extra food, so you don't have to worry about that."

The offer hung between them. Seth looked away, glancing down the hall. There were a couple doors that were closed, and then at the end there was one that was open, an unmade bed with purple covers and a ceiling fan up above. 

Anna brushed her hand back and fourth over the side of the couch, trailing over the tiny stitches in the fabric.

Their friend pressed on, "Of course, you don't have to make the decision now. I won't make you stay if you don't want to, I just want you to have the option. Why don't you stay for a few days, at least? Think it over? It's not a problem for me at all."

_ It might be nice. It'd get us away from the big dogs for a while, and all the people. It'll help if you're away from crowds for a while, right? _

_Do you think we can trust this? It was fine for one night, and we didn't have much of a choice, but staying for the long term?_

_ It'd be easier than what we've been doing. _

That was true. But it was also true that the longer they stayed with anyone from the outside, the higher the risk of betrayal, and the more they stood to lose. Yet even as he considered this, he couldn't bring himself to really imagine the person opposite them trying to hurt them. He ran Anna's tongue over her teeth, mulling this over. At the moment, he felt a reasonable level of safety, but he knew that this was temporary. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a situation where he felt trapped, and he didn't want to risk upsetting someone who'd shown them nothing but kindness. He weighed this against the more logical knowledge that despite this kindness, anyone outside the two of them could turn on them, and even a pleasant cover might be a front. 

Like Tyler, for example.

Their friends trustworthiness against Seth's own, and the risk against the gain.

But just as they said, this wasn't a decision that needed to be settled on now.

"Alright. I'll think it over, then."

"Great! I'll get extra groceries tomorrow, when I come home from work. You'll have to give me a list of things you like. And let me know if you're allergic to anything."

"Not that I know of...oh, right." He pushed against the arm of the couch, sitting up straight. The headache from earlier throbbed again, but it was more tolerable now, easier to manage. "I'm Anna. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Julie."

"Julie?"

That wasn't what he expected to hear, and it came through in his tone. Julie glanced away, a hand rubbing through their hair again. A smile remained on their face, but it was almost nervous now. "Yes, Julie. I'm a girl."

_Wait, she's a girl?_

Confusion pricked at the back of her neck, but it came from more than one place. A mix of his own startled response to the statement and of Anna's bafflement at what he felt.

_Yes?_

_I don't understand. She doesn't look like one._

_ She doesn't have to._

_But..._

_ Why are you so shocked? She's like you, Seth. _

_That happens? Wait, you mean it's normal?_

_ You don't think it is? _

Her attention turned inward, focusing on him rather than on anything else in the room. He, too, focused on her, the two of them pressed into each other as their thoughts raced.

_I thought Asher made a mistake. I thought he wired me wrong or something._

_What do you mean 'wired you wrong?'_ _Seth, no. It doesn't have anything to do with what he did to us. You're a boy because you're a boy, he had nothing to do with it. How long have you thought that?_

_...forever?_

It was always a fact, something he'd accepted without question. She pressed into him harder, concern radiating off of her to the point it was a physical thing.

_Seth...there's nothing wrong with you. Yes, it's normal. You're a boy, and she's a girl, and you should call her miss. Right now, call her miss._

"Uh, yes. Like I said, it's nice to meet you, Miss Julie."

Julie looked back at them, her smile widening, and that knot of unease relaxed. "And you, Anna."

Anna wrapped her arms around herself as relief flooded through him, seeped into every pore of her skin.

_ I didn't know. I would have told you a long time ago if I had. Seth... _

_It's normal._

_ It's normal. It isn't Asher. It was never Asher. _

He swallowed, feeling a pressure behind her eyes. The urge to cry wasn't at all helping their headache, nor would it help Julie, who probably wouldn't understand why her guest was brought to tears at their introduction.

"Now that we know each other's names, do you mind if I use your bathroom? So many drinks, not enough breaks, you know?"

"Yes, of course. It's the last door down the hall to your left. Do you need help getting down there?"

"No, I-I'm fine, thank you."

Trying not to give the impression that he was all but running away, he and Anna went to the bathroom and closed the door. Together, in private, he let the both of them shed the sudden rush of emotion that was threatening to overcome them, tears of happiness and tears of sympathy. Anna murmured nice things under her breath that he felt more than heard, her hands switching between wiping her cheeks and rubbing up and down her arms.

In a few minutes, he would wash their face with cold water and return to the living room, but right now, they needed the time alone together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took over half a year to write, but woot!! I finally got to this part of the story! Julie my bae, you're officially here!
> 
> Please let me know if I handled this scene alright? Particularly the last part? Let me know if I should rewrite anything, make changes, ect...


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